title: PET/MRI for Preoperative Planning in Patients with Soft Tissue Sarcoma: A Technical Report of Two Patients.
abstract: Clinical positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition protocols may improve the evaluation of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) prior to surgical planning. We examined two patients with lower extremity STS using a Siemens Biograph mMR PET/MRI scanner and the glucose analogue 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG). We investigated clinically relevant tumor volumes and evaluated the relations to skeletal periosteum and nerve bundles. The patient scans suggest that FDG PET/MRI improved the edge detection, and invasion of tumor tissue into important adjacent anatomical structures can be evaluated. FDG PET/MRI also provided additional information compared to conventional Gadolinium enhanced MR imaging. The findings were proven by subsequent pathological examination of the resected tumor tissue. In the future, clinical FDG PET/MRI may be an important modality for preoperative planning, including radiation therapy planning in patients with STS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loft
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Karl Erik
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Löfgren
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Søren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Daugaard
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rigshospitalet, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Petersen