title: Preliminary study on the evaluation of olfactory neuroblastoma using PET/CT.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Because of paucity of data available regarding the utility of PET/CT in the diagnosis and staging of patients with olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB), we retrospectively analyzed the efficacy of PET/CT in 9 patients with ONB.
  
  
  METHODS
  Whole-body F-18 FDG PET/CT was performed in 7 patients with newly diagnosed ONB, as well as in 1 patient with recurrence and in 1 patient with remnant tumor. Regional C-11 choline (C-11 CHO) PET/CT was performed in 2 patients with negative F-18 FDG scans. The lesion with intense radiotracer uptake was suggested as positive for tumor and the results of PET/CT were compared with conventional staging examinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  F-18 FDG PET/CT was positive in 7/9 (77.7%) patients with ONB. In 2 patients with negative F-18 FDG, the lesions were C-11CHO avid. Both the primary tumors and its invasions were clearly delineated by F-18 FDG or C-11 CHO PET/CT. SUVmax of F-18 FDG in the primary tumor was 6.37 ± 4.22 and did not correlate with lesion size (F-18 FDG/size: r = 0.097, P = 0.820). Whole-body F-18 FDG PET/CT detected parapharyngeal and cervical lymph node metastases in 2 patients, lung metastases in 1 patient, liver metastases in 1 patients, and bone metastases in 2 patients. PET/CT altered the stages of 3 of 9 patients with upstaging in 2 patients and downstaging in 1 patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PET/CT may be useful for the diagnosis and staging of ONB.
authors: NanFang PET Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Hu-bing
authors: HB
authors: Wu
authors: Quan-shi
authors: QS
authors: Wang
authors: Jin-mei
authors: JM
authors: Zhong
authors: Wen-lan
authors: WL
authors: Zhou
authors: Hong-sheng
authors: HS
authors: Li
authors: Wang
authors: W
authors: Qiao-yu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018304:Esthesioneuroblastoma, Olfactory / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D009669:Nose Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult