title: 18F-FDG PET in Liver Transplantation Setting of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Predicting Histology?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of F-FDG PET/CT by predicting histopathological findings in the pretransplant evaluation of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  F-FDG PET/CT findings of 34 patients with HCC who underwent liver transplantation were reviewed retrospectively. Visual and quantitative analysis (tumor standardized uptake values normalized to the background activity of the liver: SUVmax T/L) was done. PET tumor characteristics were compared with the histological analysis (differentiation and microvascular invasion). All patients were followed up (mean, 12 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten patients showed tumoral uptake greater than background activity (PET+). Higher-grade tumor was more common in the F-FDG-avid tumor group (P < 0.05). PET+ also showed more microvascular invasion at explant pathology (P < 0.05). Only 1 patient PET+ developed HCC early recurrence (4 months) with an SUVmax T/L of 1.64.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  F-FDG uptake is predictive for microvascular invasion and tumor differentiation. This examination has a prognostic value regarding tumor recurrence after liver transplantation for HCC.
authors.affiliation: From the *Service de Médecine Nucléaire, CHR Orléans, Orléans, France; †Service de Médecine Nucléaire, CHRU Bretonneau, Tours, France; ‡Service d'Anatomie pathologique, CHRU Trousseau, Tours, France; and §Service de Transplantation Hépatique, CHRU Tours, Tours, France.
authors.forename: Matthieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bailly
authors.forename: Yann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Venel
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Orain
authors.forename: Ephrem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Salamé
authors.forename: Maria-Joao
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18