title: Differentiation of benign from malignant cervical lymph nodes in patients with head and neck cancer using PET/CT imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To differentiate malignant from benign cervical lymph nodes in patients with head/neck cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective study, 39 patients with primary head/neck cancer who underwent Positron Emission Tomography (PET)/Computerized Tomography (CT) and image-guided lymph node biopsy were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 23 (59%) patients had biopsy-proven malignant cervical lymphadenopathy. Malignant lymph nodes had higher maximum standardized uptake (SUV-max) value (P<.001) and short-axis diameter (P=.015) compared to benign nodes. An SUV-max of ≥2.5 was 100% sensitive, and an SUV-max ≥5.5 was 100% specific for malignant lymphadenopathy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PET/CT SUV-max value can help with differentiation of malignant cervical lymph nodes in patients with head/neck cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Seyedmehdi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Payabvash
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Kaan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meric
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA. Electronic address: cayci001@umn.edu.
authors.forename: Zuzan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cayci
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D061705:Image-Guided Biopsy; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D009333:Neck; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
keywords: CT; Lymphadenopathy; Maximum standardized uptake value; Neck cancer; Positron emission tomography