Accurate tumor staging is essential for choosing the appropriate treatment strategy in patients with lung cancer. It has already been shown that FDG-PET is highly accurate in classifying lung nodules as benign or malignant. Integrated PET-CT enables the exact matching of focal abnormalities on PET to anatomic structures on CT. ...

Metastatic involvement in monostotic Paget's disease is an event of uncommon occurrence. An osseous metastasis, clinically and radiologically difficult to differentiate from sarcomatous degeneration, is often unexpectedly discovered during evaluation for malignant transformation of Paget's disease. The authors present a case of recurrent nonsmall cell lung carcinoma with PET/CT imaging ...

PURPOSE: We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) for detection of liver metastases in malignant melanoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-five patients with 39 combined unenhanced MRI and fluorine-18 deoxyglucose (F-18 FDG) PET scans were prospectively studied. In discordant imaging findings final diagnosis ...

BACKGROUND: Positron emission tomography (PET) is commonly used to detect occult or recurrent malignancy, including tumors of the female genital tract. Recently, there have been reports of PET scans used in patients with Gestational Trophoblastic Disease (GTD). CASE: A 22-year-old female presented with vaginal bleeding and elevated beta-hCG 7 months ...

This prospective, nonrandomized, case-control study evaluated the impact of (18)F-FDG PET in staging untreated squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa (BSCC) and compared the results with CT/MRI and histopathology. METHODS: Between January 2002 and April 2004, 102 untreated BSCC patients with cM0 (no evidence of distant metastatic focus on ...

PURPOSE: To determine diagnostic accuracy of CT and FDG-PET for the evaluation of N status in non-small cell lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight CT scans and PET scans of patients with non small-cell lung cancer were retrospectively reviewed. The data of the noninvasive techniques about N status were compared ...

BACKGROUND: Positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) is a new imaging modality that provides exact coregistration of anatomic and metabolic data. We have investigated to what degree this new technique might affect the interpretation of PET images in a nonselected group of consecutive cancer patients, reflecting routine condition in a ...

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the value of combined PET/CT compared with PET reviewed side-by-side with CT, in patients with oesophageal cancer, before and after surgery. METHODS: Forty-one FDG PET/CT studies were performed in 32 patients with oesophageal cancer, before surgery (n = 18) or during ...

PURPOSE: Preoperative combined chemoradiotherapy is currently the main neoadjuvant therapy used to treat locally advanced middle and low rectal adenocarcinoma. A restaging work-up with magnetic resonance imaging was hoped to provide information about the effects related to combined chemoradiotherapy. The goal was to evaluate the correlation between pathologically verified tumor ...

AIM: To determine the most cost-effective strategy using PET for mediastinal staging of potentially operable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Four decision strategies based on French NSCLC work-up practices for the selection of potential surgical candidates were compared, comprising CT only, PET for negative CT, PET for all with anatomical ...

Diagnostic imaging plays an important role in the monitoring of tumor response during lung cancer restaging to evaluate the efficacy of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy during treatment, and in the detection of recurrent or metastatic neoplasm after treatment has been completed. While CT represents the primary imaging modality for lesion ...

An intradural extramedullary metastasis is usually detected at an advanced stage of the disease or during workup for manifestations of spinal cord compression. Early diagnosis of such a lesion is rare and mostly fortuitous. The authors present a case of treated nonsmall cell lung carcinoma with an asymptomatic conus medullaris ...

BACKGROUND: Laryngeal carcinoma involving anterior vocal commissure (AVC) represents a great challenge for staging and treatment. OBJECTIVES: To compare laryngoscopy and computed tomography (CT) scan efficiency in staging tumors extending to the AVC. We also analyzed the helicoidal axial CT scan accuracy in recognizing this larynx subregion invasion. MATERIAL AND ...

OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the efficiency of (18)FDG PET, CT, and MRI for the preoperative staging of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck region. CONCLUSION: MRI is recommended as the method of choice in the preoperative evaluation of SCC of the oral cavity and the oropharynx. ...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To determine the diagnostic accuracy and the ideal timing of fluoro-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (PET) in the posttreatment surveillance of head and neck mucosal squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. METHODS: Our sample includes 103 adult patients with 118 posttreatment PET scans who had undergone treatment for ...

PURPOSE: Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) is a new imaging modality that provides simultaneous functional and anatomic information. Its application in head and neck oncology is still evolving. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five illustrative cases who were scanned with this technique are presented. RESULTS: The clinical application and impact on clinical ...

PURPOSE: Accurate delineation of the gross tumor volume (GTV) is important in radiation therapy treatment planning. We evaluated the impact of PET and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) compared with CT simulation in the planning of radiation fields for patients with esophageal carcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-five patients presenting with esophageal carcinoma ...

A new era in nuclear medicine imaging emerged with the recent clinical acceptance of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanning. By evaluating the metabolic activity of certain lesions, numerous cancers can now be detected and staged with high sensitivity and specificity. With the further advancements of PET/CT fusion, functional and anatomic ...

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the additional value of information provided by positron emission tomography (PET) with [(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) over that provided by computed tomography (CT) in patients with resectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer. METHODS: Between October 2001 and November 2002, a prospective double-blind comparison ...

BACKGROUND: The role of combined positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET-CT) in the diagnosis of recurrent ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma is uncertain because of previous reports that PET has limited sensitivity in the detection of mucinous neoplasms. CASE: A 71-year-old white woman presented with complaints of right lower quadrant pain ...

The purpose of this pictorial essay is to illustrate a spectrum of normal variants and potential pitfalls in integrated positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging in the evaluation of patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Knowledge of the normal variants and potential pitfalls in PET/CT imaging as well as ...

Pancreatic endocrine tumors (PETs) are rare neoplasms originating from the amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation (APUD) stem cells. Although the majority of PETs are sporadic, they frequently occur in familial syndromes. PETs may cause a variety of functional syndromes or symptoms of local progression if they are non-functional. General neuroendocrine ...

Functional imaging has become an increasingly important diagnostic tool for head and neck cancer, and as its availability increases so will its utilization. Positron emission tomography (PET) with the radiotracer 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18FDG) is the most commonly used functional imaging technology, and it has the potential to improve the staging and ...

Osteomyelitis complicates up to one third of diabetic foot infections, is often due to direct contamination from a soft-tissue lesion, and represents a clinical challenge. Early diagnosis is important since antibiotic therapy can be curative and may prevent amputation. The present study assessed the role of PET/CT using 18F-FDG for ...

PURPOSE: Metastatic cancer of unknown primary origin is a syndrome characterised by a poor prognosis, with a typical survival rate from diagnosis of no longer than 1 year. Only 20-27% of primary tumours are identified by conventional radiological imaging. By contrast, it has been reported that 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ...

BACKGROUND: The evidence of clinical value of positron emission tomography (PET) with fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in lymph node (LN) staging in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been shown in numerous papers. However, few studies have assessed its limitations. The aim of the present study is to clarify clinico-pathologic factors ...

Positron emission tomography (PET) has become a critical diagnostic tool in the discovery and staging of malignancies in the head and neck. Although PET is accurate for detecting cancer, increased 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake can be seen in healthy tissues such as muscle, fat, and glands and uptake can be ...

The fusion of 18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron-emission tomography (PET) with computed tomography (CT) offers both anatomic and physiologic delineation of head and neck cancers. PET-CT is useful in the staging of head and neck carcinomas and may identify unsuspected distant metastasis that may alter treatment. PET-CT may also help in target ...

We performed a retrospective study of 47 patients to ascertain the ability of combined positron-emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) to localize recurrent head and neck cancer. When clinically warranted, biopsies were performed in an attempt to obtain pathologic confirmation of the PET/CT findings. Of the 47 patients, 33 exhibited ...

The use of positron emission tomography (PET) has increased in oncology and in the assessment of head and neck tumours, where it is most useful for recurrent disease. It has good sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis and staging but is generally not necessary except in difficult cases. Quantitative measures of ...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of combined positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) fusion imaging in the detection and management of recurrent papillary thyroid cancer. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of 33 patients with suspected recurrent papillary thyroid carcinoma who had undergone PET/CT was performed. ...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of transvaginal contrast for local staging of cervical carcinoma. Fifty patients diagnosed with cervical carcinoma prospectively underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging before and after vaginal opacification (VO) with a mixture of 25 ml saline and 25 ml barium. T2-weighted (T2W) ...

BACKGROUND: Malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are a rare subset of aggressive mesenchymal tumours specific to the gastrointestinal system. They are both locally aggressive and can metastasize. The aim of this analysis was to report on our experience of the utility of coincidence positron emission tomography (co-PET) based on an ...

BACKGROUND: Our goals were to measure the accuracy of specialist helical computed tomography (CT) in the preoperative staging of gastric cancer, to determine the relative benefit of progressive CT system technology, and to determine the magnitude of any learning curve in radiological interpretation. METHODS: One hundred patients (median age, 70 ...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the role of MRI in showing a pseudocapsule for local staging of renal tumors, and its potential application to select patients for partial surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty tumors (73 renal cell carcinomas [RCCs] and seven oncocytomas) were preoperatively evaluated by ...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of gadoliniumenhanced MRI in staging bladder cancer in a series of patients with surgically proven bladder cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-one patients with biopsy-proven bladder cancer underwent MRI on a 1.5-T scanner with a phased-array pelvic coil. Conventional T1-weighted ...

AIM: The incidence of adenocarcinomas of the distal oesophagus (ADE) has dramatically increased in Western countries. The clinical importance of a FDG PET finding discordant with CT was determined in patients with locally advanced ADE. In addition, tumour standardized uptake values (SUV) were correlated with patient survival. PATIENTS, METHODS: 40 ...

Despite being a relatively rare disease, the incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is expected to increase over the next two decades due to the long time interval elapsing between exposure to causative factors, mainly asbestos, and disease onset. Early disease stages have been reported to benefit from radical surgery. ...

Sarcomas are often characterised by significant histopathologic heterogeneity, both between and within tumours. This heterogeneity reflects physiologic, biochemical and genetic processes that are amenable to characterisation by functional imaging. Although anatomically based imaging modalities such as plain radiography, X-ray computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remain the primary ...

A wide range of molecular imaging techniques are available that can provide complementary information to conventional, anatomical imaging for the evaluation of known or suspected bone and soft tissue sarcomas. In particular, positron emission tomography (PET), particularly in the form of hybrid PET/CT technology, offers many potential advantages over current ...

PURPOSE: This prospective study aimed to investigate the efficacy of dual-phase positron emission tomography (PET) in evaluating the loco-regional status of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: Eighty-four patients with newly diagnosed NPC and a fasting serum glucose level of <200 mg/dl were enrolled. [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) PET studies (at 40 min and ...

PURPOSE: Good knowledge of physiological 18F-fluorodeoxglucose (18F-FDG) uptake in the healthy population is of great importance for the correct interpretation of 18F-FDG positron emission tomography (PET) images of pathological processes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the physiological 18F-FDG uptake in the ovaries and uterus of healthy female ...

Accurately staging patients with lung cancer is important in determining treatment options and prognoses. Staging allows the distinction of patients who are candidates for surgical resection from those with inoperable disease who may be treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Conventional imaging plays an essential role in the noninvasive and ...

PURPOSE: To prospectively study the impact on tumor and normal tissue delineation for RT planning by use of hybrid PET-CT simulation for patients with head-and-neck cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Twenty-one patients were simulated in treatment position on a hybrid PET-CT scanner. Images were transferred to the Varian Eclipse planning system. ...

BACKGROUND: This is the first report of FDG-PET findings in a case of vaginal melanoma. CASE: The tumor arose from the anterior wall of the vaginal canal. As the tumor was limited to the vaginal wall and as there was no evidence of distant metastases, the disease was staged as ...

In adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and esophagogastric junction for prognostication and treatment allocation, one prerequisite is accurate pretreatment staging. This staging, we hypothesized, would be improved by the use of positron emission tomography (PET). After 55 patients suitable for radical esophageal resection were staged with PET, spiral computed tomography (CT), ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced CT (ceCT) and 2-[18-F]-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose-PET/CT in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer to the liver. BACKGROUND: Despite preoperative evaluation with ceCT, the tumor load in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer to the liver is often underestimated. Positron emission tomography (PET) has been used in ...

Rising serum tumor markers may be associated with negative imaging in the presence of cancer. CT and (18)F-FDG PET may yield incongruent results in the assessment of tumor recurrence. The present study evaluates the incremental role of (18)F-FDG PET/CT for the diagnosis and management of cancer patients with increasing levels ...

PURPOSE: To retrospectively evaluate fused positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in depicting the primary lesion in cancer of an unknown primary tumor, compared with PET, CT, and PET and CT side-by-side evaluation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained. Forty-five patients (26 men and ...

PURPOSE: 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-Glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) stages patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) with higher accuracy than computed tomography (CT). We sought to determine whether integrated (hardware) fused PET/CT imaging results in further improvements in staging accuracy. PROCEDURES: Seventy-three patients (age 51 +/- 17 years, 37 female, ...