[Diagnosis of recurrent or residual nasopharyngeal carcinomas in the skull base area with F-18-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the diagnostic value of F-18-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) for the recurrent or residual nasopharyngeal carcinomas in the skull base area.


METHODS
Nine post-irradiation nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients did FDG-PET scanning, CT/MRI imaging and underwent nasopharynx and skull base-biopsy under endoscopy. The results of FDG-PET were evaluated and compared with CT/MRI studies and biopsies.


RESULTS
In 9 cases of post-irradiation nasopharyngeal carcinoma, CT/MRI detected 7 recurrent cases and 2 suspected recurrent cases in occipital bone and clivus. All 9 cases had accumulated FDG in nasopharynx and cranial base. A definite diagnosis was made by biopsy, 3 cases were confirmed recurrence, and others 6 cases were proved mucous chronic inflammation and (or) osteoradionecrosis. The accuracy of FDG-PET was 33.3% (3/9), and the false positive rate was 66.7% (6/9).


CONCLUSIONS
Diagnosis of recurrent or residual nasopharyngeal carcinomas in the skull base area with FDG-PET had high false-positive rate, final diagnosis must depend on histopathologic examination under endoscopy.
Zeng
Liang
L
The Second Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China.
Huang
Xiao-Ming
XM
Lu
Tai-Xiang
TX
Zheng
Yi-Qing
YQ
Chen
Qiu-Jian
QJ
Chen
Yong
Y
Huang
Sui-Qiao
SQ
Sun
Wei
W
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019291:Skull Base / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18