title: Incidental head and neck findings on 18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography computed tomography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The overlapping risk factors for lung and head and neck cancer present a definite risk of synchronous malignant pathology. This is the first study to specifically review incidental positron emission tomography computed tomography findings in the head and neck region in lung carcinoma patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review was performed of all lung cancer patients who underwent positron emission tomography computed tomography imaging over a five-year period (January 2008 - December 2012), identified from the Liverpool thoracic multidisciplinary team database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six hundred and nine patients underwent positron emission tomography computed tomography imaging over this period. In 76 (12.5 per cent) scans, incidental regions of avid 18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose uptake were reported in the head and neck region. In the 28 patients who were fully investigated, there were 4 incidental findings of malignancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In lung cancer patients undergoing investigative positron emission tomography computed tomography scanning, a significant number will also present with areas of clinically significant 18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose uptake in the head and neck region. Of these, at least 5 per cent may have an undiagnosed malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery,Aintree University Hospital,Liverpool,UK.
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery,Aintree University Hospital,Liverpool,UK.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kinshuck
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery,Aintree University Hospital,Liverpool,UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology,Aintree University Hospital,Liverpool,UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dwivedi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology,Aintree University Hospital,Liverpool,UK.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wieshmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery,Aintree University Hospital,Liverpool,UK.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010039:Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
keywords: 18F Fluorodeoxyglucose; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Incidental Findings; Positron-Emission Tomography