Comparison of positron emission tomography and lymphangiography in the diagnosis of infradiaphragmatic Hodgkin's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the respective roles of positron emission tomography using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) and lymphangiography (LAG) in staging Hodgkin's disease (HD) patients with negative contrast-enhanced infradiaphragmatic computed tomography (CT).


METHODS
28 patients underwent FDG-PET and LAG at initial staging. Concordant positive findings on both tests were regarded as actual HD locations and concordant negative findings as true negative. In case of discrepancy, the reference was biopsy or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).


RESULTS
Concordant results were obtained in 26 patients (24 negative, two positive). In two of the 24 negative patients, PET showed additional lesions in the spleen and one celiac lymph node (one patient), and in the right kidney and the right iliac crest (one patient). Discordant results were obtained in two patients. Both methods indicated infradiaphragmatic involvement in different locations in one patient. In the other, PET was falsely positive (PET done within 24 hours after a negative LAG), which was confirmed by biopsy (benign inflammatory, probably due to LAG medium).


CONCLUSIONS
FDG-PET and LAG gave comparable results, making invasive LAG unnecessary. Furthermore, LAG, when performed before PET, can be responsible for false-positive PET results.
Valette
F
F
Department of Nuclear Medicine and Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Nantes, France.
Querellou
S
S
Oudoux
A
A
Carlier
T
T
Dupas
B
B
Chatal
J-F
JF
Couturier
O
O
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008220:Lymphography / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013154:Spleen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18