Detection of histologically proven peritoneal carcinomatosis with fused 18F-FDG-PET/MDCT.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate peritoneal carcinomatosis in patients with gastrointestinal and gynecologic malignancies and to assess the diagnostic role for 18-FDG-PET and MDCT alone in comparison to the diagnostic accuracy of fused 18F-FDG-PET/MDCT by using surgical and histopathological findings as the standard of reference.


METHODS
Sixty-two patients (13 males, 49 females; age range 43-81; mean age, 62 years with suspected peritoneal carcinomatosis were reviewed for the presence of peritoneal lesions on 18F-FDG-PET/MDCT scans (Discovery LS, GE Medical Systems). The results were compared with the histological findings at laparatomy. Thirty-one patients had peritoneal metastases, while 31 patients had negative histological findings at laparotomy.


RESULTS
CT detected peritoneal seeding in 26/31 patients, 18F-FDG-PET in 25/31 patients, and 18F-FDG-PET/MDCT in 30/31 patients, for a sensitivity of 88%, 88%, and 100%, respectively. False-positive findings were seen in MDCT in one patient, in 18F-FDG-PET in two patients, and in 18F-MDCT-PET/MDCT in one patient, for a specificity of 97%, 94%, and 97%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Fused 18F-FDG-PET/MDCT is superior to MDCT and 18F-FDG-PET alone for the detection of peritoneal carcinomatosis especially in small lesions and it offers exact anatomic information for surgical treatment.
Dirisamer
Albert
A
Department of Nuclear Medicine, St. Vincent's Hospital, Seilerstaette 4, 4010 Linz, Austria. albert.dirisamer@meduniwien.ac.at
Schima
Wolfgang
W
Heinisch
Martin
M
Weber
Michael
M
Lehner
Hans Peter
HP
Haller
Joerg
J
Langsteger
Werner
W
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013382:Subtraction Technique; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18