Sampanna Jung Rayamajhi1, Bhagwant Rai Mittal2, Venkata Nagarjuna Maturu1, Ritesh Agarwal3, Amanjit Bal4, Pranab Dey5, Jaya Shukla1, Dheeraj Gupta3. 1. Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160 012, India. 2. Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160 012, India. brmittal.pgi@gmail.com. 3. Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160 012, India. 4. Department of Histopathology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160 012, India. 5. Department of Cytology and Gynaecological Pathology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160 012, India.
Abstract
PURPOSE: There is currently no single modality for accurate characterization of enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes into benign or malignant. Recently (18)F-fluorothymidine (FLT) has been used as a proliferation marker. In this prospective study, we examined the role of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and (18)F-FLT PET/CT in categorizing mediastinal lymph nodes as benign or malignant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 70 consecutive patients with mediastinal lymphadenopathy detected on computed tomography (CT) or chest radiograph underwent whole body (18)F-FLT PET/CT and (18)F-FDG PET/CT (within 1 week of each other). Lymph nodal tracer uptake was determined by calculation of standardized uptake value (SUV) with both the tracers. Results of PET/CT were compared with histopathology of the lymph nodes. RESULTS: Histopathology results showed thirty-seven patients with sarcoidosis, seven patients with tuberculosis, nine patients with non-small cell lung cancer, five patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma and twelve patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The mean FDG SUVmax of sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was 12.7, 13.4, 8.2, and 8.8, respectively, and the mean FLT SUVmax was 6.0, 5.4, 4.4, and 3.8, respectively. It was not possible to characterize mediastinal lymphadenopathy as benign or malignant solely based on FDG SUVmax values (p > 0.05) or FLT SUVmax values (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in FDG uptake (p > 0.9) or FLT uptake (p > 0.9) between sarcoidosis and tuberculosis. In lung cancer patients, the FDG SUVmax and FLT SUVmax of those lymph nodes with tumor infiltration on biopsy was 6.7 and 3.9, respectively, and those without nodal infiltration was 6.4 and 3.7, respectively, and both the tracers were not able to characterize the nodal status as malignant or benign (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Though (18)F-FLT PET/CT and (18)F-FDG PET/CT reflect different aspects of biology, i.e., proliferation and metabolism, respectively, neither tracer could provide satisfactory categorization of benign and malignant lymph nodes. The results of this study clearly suggest that differentiation of mediastinal nodes into benign and malignant solely based on SUVmax values cannot be relied upon, especially in settings where tuberculosis and sarcoidosis are common.
PURPOSE: There is currently no single modality for accurate characterization of enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes into benign or malignant. Recently (18)F-fluorothymidine (FLT) has been used as a proliferation marker. In this prospective study, we examined the role of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and (18)F-FLT PET/CT in categorizing mediastinal lymph nodes as benign or malignant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 70 consecutive patients with mediastinal lymphadenopathy detected on computed tomography (CT) or chest radiograph underwent whole body (18)F-FLT PET/CT and (18)F-FDG PET/CT (within 1 week of each other). Lymph nodal tracer uptake was determined by calculation of standardized uptake value (SUV) with both the tracers. Results of PET/CT were compared with histopathology of the lymph nodes. RESULTS: Histopathology results showed thirty-seven patients with sarcoidosis, seven patients with tuberculosis, nine patients with non-small cell lung cancer, five patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma and twelve patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The mean FDG SUVmax of sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was 12.7, 13.4, 8.2, and 8.8, respectively, and the mean FLT SUVmax was 6.0, 5.4, 4.4, and 3.8, respectively. It was not possible to characterize mediastinal lymphadenopathy as benign or malignant solely based on FDG SUVmax values (p > 0.05) or FLT SUVmax values (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in FDG uptake (p > 0.9) or FLT uptake (p > 0.9) between sarcoidosis and tuberculosis. In lung cancerpatients, the FDG SUVmax and FLT SUVmax of those lymph nodes with tumor infiltration on biopsy was 6.7 and 3.9, respectively, and those without nodal infiltration was 6.4 and 3.7, respectively, and both the tracers were not able to characterize the nodal status as malignant or benign (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Though (18)F-FLT PET/CT and (18)F-FDG PET/CT reflect different aspects of biology, i.e., proliferation and metabolism, respectively, neither tracer could provide satisfactory categorization of benign and malignant lymph nodes. The results of this study clearly suggest that differentiation of mediastinal nodes into benign and malignant solely based on SUVmax values cannot be relied upon, especially in settings where tuberculosis and sarcoidosis are common.
Authors: Athanasios S Theodoropoulos; Ioannis Gkiozos; Georgios Kontopyrgias; Adrianni Charpidou; Elias Kotteas; George Kyrgias; Maria Tolia Journal: SAGE Open Med Date: 2020-09-28
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Authors: Riemer H J A Slart; Andor W J M Glaudemans; Olivier Gheysens; Mark Lubberink; Tanja Kero; Marc R Dweck; Gilbert Habib; Oliver Gaemperli; Antti Saraste; Alessia Gimelli; Panagiotis Georgoulias; Hein J Verberne; Jan Bucerius; Christoph Rischpler; Fabien Hyafil; Paola A Erba Journal: Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging Date: 2020-12-01 Impact factor: 6.875
Authors: Riemer H J A Slart; Andor W J M Glaudemans; Olivier Gheysens; Mark Lubberink; Tanja Kero; Marc R Dweck; Gilbert Habib; Oliver Gaemperli; Antti Saraste; Alessia Gimelli; Panagiotis Georgoulias; Hein J Verberne; Jan Bucerius; Christoph Rischpler; Fabien Hyafil; Paola A Erba Journal: Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging Date: 2020-10-27 Impact factor: 9.236