Challenges in Interpretation of Staging PET/CT in Thoracic Malignancies.
18F-fluorodeoxryglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT imaging is routinely performed in the evaluation of patients with known or suspected thoracic malignancy. Indications for its use include staging of malignancy, assessment of response to therapy, evaluation of suspected disease recurrence, and evaluation of a solitary pulmonary nodule. In this article, we will discuss specific technical artifacts and also review potential pitfalls in the interpretation of PET/CT in thoracic malignancies including normal variations in physiologic uptake of FDG, benign conditions (such as infection, inflammation, posttreatment changes, and iatrogenic factors) that can result in increased FDG uptake, and malignancies that demonstrate scarce to no FDG uptake.
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX. Electronic address: gshroff@mdanderson.org.
Girish S
GS
Shroff
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
Brett W
BW
Carter
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
Chitra
C
Viswanathan
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
Marcelo F
MF
Benveniste
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
Carol C
CC
Wu
Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel.
Edith M
EM
Marom
Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
Osama R
OR
Mawlawi
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
Mylene T
MT
Truong
D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D000072078:Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18