title: Usefulness of PET/CT in the diagnosis of recurrent or metastasized differentiated thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to determine the usefulness of the positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in the detection of recurrence or metastasization of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) in patients with abnormal thyroglobulin levels and negative findings on the131I-diagnostic whole-body scanning (dWBS). Fifteen patients with DTC, abnormal thyroglobulin levels, and negative131I-dWBS findings were scanned using the18F-FDG PET/CT. Positive diagnosis was based on postoperative histologic findings, and clinical and imaging follow-up results obtained in the subsequent 6 months. In addition, preoperative and postoperative thyroglobulin levels were compared. Using the findings of18F-FDG PET/CT and data on confirmed positive diagnosis, sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) were calculated. Sensitivity and PPV of PET/CT in detecting recurrence or metastasisization of DTC were 93.30 and 91.40%, respectively. Furthermore, postoperative thyroglobulin levels were markedly lower compared to the preoperative levels (respectively, 4.67±1.71 vs. 58.53±18.34 ng/ml; p<0.05). PET/CT scan with18F-FDG is an informative technique for the detection of recurrent or metastasized DTC in patients with abnormal thyroglobulin levels and negative131I-dWBS findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Cun-Zhi
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thyroid Surgery, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Su-Sheng
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Thyroid Surgery, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thyroid Surgery, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lu
keywords: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography; differentiated thyroid carcinoma; metastasization; tumour recurrence