title: Positron emission tomography and leiomyomas: clinicopathologic analysis of 3 cases of PET scan-positive leiomyomas and literature review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies have suggested that PET scans can differentiate between leiomyomas and leiomyosarcomas. Our experience, however, shows that PET scan-positive smooth muscle tumors are not necessarily malignant.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three patients with cancer underwent PET imaging. In all three, the most worrisome finding was a PET scan-positive uterine tumor. After surgical extirpation, all three uterine tumors were found to be benign smooth muscle neoplasms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To explore the potential reason these tumors were positive on PET imaging, we performed a detailed histopathologic and immunohistochemical study of all specimens. Pathologic evaluation revealed a leiomyoma, a cellular leiomyoma, and a stromomyoma. There was no association between an increased Ki67 (proliferative) index and positivity on PET imaging. Increased vascularity, however, appeared to be a feature common to the leiomyomas that were PET-positive.
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, 420 Delaware Street SE/MMC 395, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors.forename: Justin C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chura
authors.forename: Alexander M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Truskinovsky
authors.forename: Patricia L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Judson
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Melissa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Geller
authors.forename: Levi S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Downs
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18