title: PET/CT in the thorax: pitfalls.
abstract: PET/CT is widely used in the staging and assessment of therapeutic response in patients with malignancies. Accurate interpretation of PET/CT requires knowledge of the normal physiologic distribution of [18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose, artifacts due to the use of CT for attenuation correction of the PET scan and potential pitfalls due to malignancies that are PET negative and benign conditions that are PET positive. Awareness of these artifacts and potential pitfalls is important in preventing misinterpretation that can alter patient management.
authors.affiliation: Division of Diagnostic Imaging, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Unit 1478, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address: mtruong@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: Mylene T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Truong
authors.forename: Chitra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Viswanathan
authors.forename: Brett W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Osama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mawlawi
authors.forename: Edith M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Marom
mesh_terms: D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016477:Artifacts; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D054792:Muscle, Striated / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D013909:Thorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Lung cancer; PET/CT; Pitfalls; Staging; Thorax