title: [PET scanning for malignant melanoma and positive sentinel node diagnostics].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To illuminate the value of using positron emission tomography (PET) scan as a clinical routine screening procedure for detecting subclinical metastases in melanoma patients with positive sentinel node biopsy, we carried out a retrospective study which included a total of 80 patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  80 patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma and subclinical lymph node metastases diagnosed by sentinel node biopsy (SNB) were submitted to 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) whole-body PET-scanning within 100 days after SNB and wide local excision (WLE). Before FDG-PET scanning, patients were screened conventionally and found to be without evidence of further dissemination. The average follow-up was 30 months (range 7-81 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  13 patients out of totally 80 patients had a suspicious FDG-PET scan. 4 of these patients (5%) were found true positive by verifying examinations. 67 patients had a negative FDG-PET scan - 4 of these patients developed a clinical recurrence within a period of 6 months after SNB (false negative). This resulted in a sensitivity of 50% and a specificity of 31%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that FDG-PET scanning in connection with SNB cannot be recommended as a routine investigation for patients with malignant melanoma and positive SNB.
authors.affiliation: Roskilde Sygehus, Plastikkirurgisk Afdeling, og Rigshospitalet, Diagnostisk Center, PET-og Cyclotronenheden, Denmark. janne@horn.dk
authors.forename: Janne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Horn
authors.forename: Helle
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sjøstrand
authors.forename: Jørgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lock-Andersen
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loft
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18