Fine needle aspiration outcomes of masses detected by positron emission tomography: correlation with standard uptake value.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the cytopathologic outcome of lesions detected on positron emission tomography (PET) scan.


METHODS
Cases with fine needle aspiration (FNA) performed because of a PET-positive lesion over an 18-month period were reviewed. Correlation with the standard uptake value (SUV) (using 2.5 as a cutoff value) was carried out.


RESULTS
A total of 112 FNAs were found, of which 83 had adequate tissue for evaluation and available corresponding SUVs to be included in the final study. Fisher's exact test was carried out for correlation between FNA diagnosis and SUV Sixty-one (73.5%) lesions had an SUV > or = 2.5, 53 (87%) ofwhich were malignant and 8 (13%) benign on cytology. Twenty-two (26.5%) lesions had an SUV < 2.5, of which 12 (54.5%) showed benign and 10 (45.5%) showed malignant cytology. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and diagnostic accuracy of SUV were 84%, 60%, 87%, 56% and 78%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data show that FNA procedures performed for PET-positive lesions have high PPV, but low NPV. Therefore interpretation of PET SUV values < 2.5 as benign should be made with extreme caution.
Pansare
Vaishali
V
Department of Pathology, Wayne State University, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Center, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA.
Bandyopadhyay
Sudeshna
S
Feng
Jining
J
Bhan
Raj
R
Joyrich
Richard
R
Husain
Mujtaba
M
Al-Abbadi
Mousa
M
D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18