The value of [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.
OBJECTIVE
To our knowledge, there are no published data pertinent to the use of [(18F)]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in patients with natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma. The purpose of this study was to assess the value of FDG PET/CT in this aggressive type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.


METHODS
All patients with NK/T-cell lymphoma referred for FDG PET/CT at our institution from July 2001 to July 2006 were retrospectively studied. PET/CT examinations were blindly reviewed by 2 experienced readers. The results were compared with the status of the disease, which was determined after evaluation of biopsy, laboratory, clinical and conventional imaging examination, and follow-up results. PET/CT results were thereby classified as true-positive, true-negative, false-positive, or false-negative. The degree of FDG uptake in the positive lesions was semiquantified using maximum standard uptake value (SUV(max)).


RESULTS
Twenty-one PET/CT examinations were performed in 10 patients with NK/T-cell lymphoma. For nasal disease, PET/CT was true-positive in 5 cases, true-negative in 15 cases, and positive but unconfirmed in 1 case. For extranasal disease, PET/CT was true-positive in 3 cases, true-negative in 16 cases, and false-negative in 2 cases. The mean SUV(max) in PET-positive lesions in nasal cavities or paranasal sinuses was 16 gm/mL (range, 5-25 gm/mL; median, 19.3 gm/mL). In extranasal disease, the mean SUV(max) was 10.9 gm/mL (range, 4.6-34.1 gm/mL; median, 5.6 gm/mL).


CONCLUSIONS
Viable NK/T-cell lymphoma is intensely FDG hypermetabolic. PET/CT appears to be sensitive for the detection of disease in the nasopharynx and, to a lesser extent, in extranasal sites.
Karantanis
Dimitrios
D
Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Subramaniam
Rathan M
RM
Peller
Patrick J
PJ
Lowe
Val J
VJ
Durski
Jolanta M
JM
Collins
Douglas A
DA
Georgiou
Evangelos
E
Ansell
Stephen M
SM
Wiseman
Gregory A
GA
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D011868:Radioisotopes
D011868:Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18