title: SUVmax of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules according to tumor volume.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to investigate whether the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) measured on fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) could be used as the primary means of differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules when tumor volume is assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 192 patients who underwent preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT followed by thyroidectomy. We evaluated the correlation between the volume of thyroid nodules, 18F-FDG uptake on visual analysis, and the mean SUVmax measured on 18F-FDG PET/CT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When stratified by tumor volume, the mean SUVmax was higher in malignant than in benign nodules in nodules≥1 cm3 (p<0.001). However, it did not differ between benign and malignant nodules smaller than 1 cm3. At a cut-off value of SUVmax of 6, the respective sensitivities of 18F-FDG PET/CT, ultrasonography, and fine needle aspiration cytology were 60.8, 96.4, and 99.1%, and the respective specificities were 95.9, 98.2, and 96.8%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  18F-FDG PET/CT is limited as a primary modality in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules because of its low sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 133-792, Korea. extradynamic@naver.com.
authors.forename: Tae Heon
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 133-792, Korea. jyb20000@hanyang.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Yong Bae
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 133-792, Korea. songabcd@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Chang Myeon
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea. gift02@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Ji Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea. yychoi@hanyang.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Yun Young
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea. jsp@hanyang.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jeong Seon
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 133-792, Korea. kytae@hanyang.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Kyung
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tae
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18