A comparison between ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT imaging and biological and radiological findings in restaging of hepatoblastoma patients.
BACKGROUND
In this study we retrospectively evaluated if ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT provided incremental diagnostic information over CI in a group of hepatoblastoma patients performing restaging.


METHODS
Nine patients (mean age: 5.9 years; range: 3.1-12 years) surgically treated for hepatoblastoma were followed up by clinical examination, serum α-FP monitoring, and US. CI (CT or MRI) and PET/CT were performed in case of suspicion of relapse. Fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNAB) were carried out for final confirmation if the results of CI, PET/CT, and/or α-FP levels were suggestive of relapse. PET/CT and CI findings were analyzed for comparison purposes, using FNAB as reference standard.


RESULTS
α-FP level was suggestive of disease recurrence in 8/9 patients. Biopsy was performed in 8/9 cases. CI and PET/CT resulted to be concordant in 5/9 patients (CI identified recurrence of disease, but ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT provided a better definition of disease extent); in 4/9 cases, CI diagnostic information resulted in negative findings, whereas PET/CT correctly detected recurrence of disease. ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT showed an agreement of 100% (8/8) with FNAB results.


CONCLUSIONS
¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT scan seems to better assess HB patients with respect to CI and may provide incremental diagnostic value in the restaging of this group of patients.
Positron Emission Tomography Centre, IRMET S.p.A., Euromedic Inc., 10136 Turin, Italy ; Co-ordinator of PET Pediatric AIMN InterGroup, 10136 Turin, Italy ; Associate researcher of Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Angelina
A
Cistaro
Giorgio
G
Treglia
Manuela
M
Pagano
Piercarlo
P
Fania
Valentina
V
Bova
Maria Eleonora
ME
Basso
Franca
F
Fagioli
Umberto
U
Ficola
Natale
N
Quartuccio
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D018197:Hepatoblastoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18