[The integrated PET/CT: technological advance in diagnostics of head and neck recurrencies and CUP?].
BACKGROUND
In the last years (18)F-Fluoro-deoxy-glucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) worked satisfactorily as auxiliary method in order to show recurrency of head and neck tumors and to detect primary tumors in case of CUP especially when CT and MR imaging failed to identify the tumor accurately. The correlation of FDG hypermetabolism and anatomical structures is now provided by a new technology which is integrating PET and CT: Integrated PET/CT represents a new technical development, which combines the advantages of CT and PET.


METHODS
In a retrospective investigation 84 non selected PET/CT studies of 83 patients with recurrent head and neck disease and CUP were critically analyzed.


RESULTS
33 cases had positive PET findings. 5 of these 33 cases showed false-positive findings. In 51 PET studies there was not found any sign of suspicious FDG hypermetabolism.


CONCLUSIONS
Integrated PET/CT delivers substantial progress in detecting tumor localization. False positive findings have to be considered and therefore indications should be strictly limited to special cases of head and neck tumor recurrency, cases with complex anatomical sites and CUP.
Klinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Krankheiten, Plastische Operationen, Klinikum Stuttgart, Katharinenhospital. k.schneider@katharinenhospital.de
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Schneider
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Aschoff
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Bihl
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Hagen
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010173:Palpation; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18