title: Utility of F-18 FDG PET/CT in screening for paraneoplastic neurological syndromes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the utility of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for the investigation of patients with suspected paraneoplastic neurologic syndrome (PNS).
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the whole-body fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT studies (ordered by the neurology department) performed at our hospital between December 2005 and November 2010; 27 cases (16 men, 11 women; mean age, 65 years) who were suspected of having PNS were selected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 27 patients, 6 (22%) had an abnormal FDG uptake. Of these 6 patients, 5 (19%) were histologically confirmed as having a malignancy. Of the 27 patients, 7 were tested for the presence of well-characterized paraneoplastic antibodies (anti-Hu, anti-Ri, anti-Yo); 1 had anti-Hu, but the patient did not have an abnormal FDG uptake or malignancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PET/CT may be a useful screening tool for patients with clinically suspected PNS who do not exhibit well-characterized paraneoplastic antibodies. Therefore, we recommended that PET/CT should be performed for patients with clinically suspicious PNS regardless of the presence of well-characterized paraneoplastic antibodies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tokyo Dental and Medical University, Tokyo, Japan. mthsmrad@tmd.ac.jp
authors.forename: Akiyuki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsuhisa
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Toriihara
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.forename: Hidehiro
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizusawa
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shibuya
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D020361:Paraneoplastic Syndromes, Nervous System / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18