title: The value of ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT in the differential diagnosis of solitary pulmonary nodules in areas with a high incidence of tuberculosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate (18)F-FDG-PET, PET/CT, and CT in the diagnosis of benign or malignant solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) in areas with a high incidence of TB.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-six patients with a SPN smaller than 30 mm were studied prospectively. PET/CT images were obtained 60 min after intravenous injection of (18)F-FDG. The data obtained for each patient were analyzed and the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated and compared using χ(2) test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV in the diagnosis of SPN were 86.7, 72.2, 81.3, 83.9, and 76.5%, respectively, for CT and 88.3, 61.1, 79.1, 79.1, and 75.9%, respectively, for PET. Tuberculosis was responsible for 57.1% (8/14) of false-positives on PET. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV in the diagnosis of SPN were 96.7, 75.7, 88.5, 88.1, and 94.4% for PET/CT. The accuracy of PET/CT was higher than that of either CT or PET alone (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PET has a high false-positive rate in areas with a high incidence of TB; combined PET and CT (PET/CT) can improve the diagnostic accuracy in the differentiation of an SPN.
authors: Department of Respiratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Lane, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors: Yalun
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Minggang
authors: M
authors: Su
authors: Fanglan
authors: F
authors: Li
authors: Anren
authors: A
authors: Kuang
authors: Rong
authors: R
authors: Tian
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D003074:Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18