title: Initial Experience of Utilizing Real-Time Intra-Procedural PET/CT Biopsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nonreal-time Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) biopsies that use the image co-registration of a prior PET with an intra-procedural CT have been reported. The aim of this study was to report the initial experience of performing real-time intra-procedural PET/CT-guided biopsies.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients (n = 4) had a prior PET/CT examination of the concerning lesion and no significant CT correlate. On the day of the biopsy, 5 mCi of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) or NaF18 was intravenously injected. After 60 min of biodistribution of the molecular probe, PET/CT images were obtained in a limited one bed position over the region of the concerning lesion to be biopsied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One patient had a mesenteric mass and the other three had bone lesions, one located in the rib and two in the iliac bone. The pathology report revealed that two lesions (50%) were malignant and two lesions (50%) were benign. The results of the biopsy changed management in all cases. There was 0% complication rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No additional software or hardware is required to perform real-time intra-procedural PET/CT-guided biopsies. It can optimize the yield, especially in cases where there are no anatomical abnormalities. Real-time intra-procedural PET/CT biopsy may have benefits over conventional biopsy techniques in terms of accuracy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University California San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Carina Mari
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Aparici
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University California San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Rizwan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aslam
authors.affiliation: San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Aung Zaw
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Win
keywords: Biopsy; NaF-18; fluorodeoxyglucose; positron emission tomography/computed tomography