title: Solitary pulmonary nodule and (18)F-FDG PET/CT. Part 2: accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and current recommendations.
abstract: A solitary pulmonary nodule is a common, often incidental, radiographic finding. The investigation and differential diagnosis of solitary pulmonary nodules remain complex, because there are overlaps between the characteristics of benign and malignant processes. There are currently many strategies for evaluating solitary pulmonary nodules. The main objective is to identify benign lesions, in order to avoid exposing patients to the risks of invasive methods, and to detect cases of lung cancer accurately, in order to avoid delaying potentially curative treatment. The focus of this study was to review the evaluation of solitary pulmonary nodules, to discuss the current role of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography, addressing its accuracy and cost-effectiveness, and to detail the current recommendations for the examination in this scenario.
authors.affiliation: MD, MSc, Nuclear Medicine Physician at Liga Norte-Riograndense Contra o Câncer, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos Pretto
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Mosmann
authors.affiliation: MD, Radiologist at Liga Norte-Riograndense Contra o Câncer, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelle Alves
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Borba
authors.affiliation: MD, Radiologist at Liga Norte-Riograndense Contra o Câncer, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Francisco Pires Negromonte
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: de Macedo
authors.affiliation: MD, Radiologist at Liga Norte-Riograndense Contra o Câncer, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adriano de Araujo Lima
authors.initials: Ade A
authors.lastname: Liguori
authors.affiliation: PhD, Nuclear Medicine Physician at Liga Norte-Riograndense Contra o Câncer, Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villarim Neto
authors.affiliation: Post Doc Fellow, Professor, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN, Brazil.
authors.forename: Kenio Costa
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: de Lima
keywords: Positron-emission tomography; Solitary pulmonary nodule