Integrated PET-CT for the characterization of adrenal gland lesions in cancer patients: diagnostic efficacy and interpretation pitfalls.
Integrated fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET)-computed tomography (CT) for adrenal gland imaging in cancer patients allows early detection and accurate localization of adrenal lesions and differentiation of metastatic nodules from benign lesions, thereby facilitating treatment planning. However, false-positive findings are encountered at integrated PET-CT in approximately 5% of adrenal lesions identified as positive at PET, including adrenal adenomas, adrenal endothelial cysts, and inflammatory and infectious lesions. Moreover, false-negative findings may be seen in adrenal metastatic lesions with hemorrhage or necrosis, small-sized (<10-mm) metastatic nodules, and metastases from pulmonary bronchioloalveolar carcinoma or carcinoid tumors. An awareness of the potential pitfalls of integrated PET-CT enhances the diagnostic efficacy of this modality by allowing differentiation of metastatic adrenal lesions from other abnormalities.
Chong
Semin
S
Department of Radiology, Chung-Ang University Medicial Center, College of Medicine, 224-1, Heukseok-dong, Dongjak, Seoul, 156-755, South Korea [corrected]
Lee
Kyung Soo
KS
Kim
Ha Young
HY
Kim
Yoon Kyung
YK
Kim
Byung-Tae
BT
Chung
Myung Jin
MJ
Yi
Chin A
CA
Kwon
Ghee Young
GY
D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D013382:Subtraction Technique; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*