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Diagnostic performance of PET/CT in differentiation of malignant and benign non-solid solitary pulmonary nodules

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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate whether [F-18] fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) can distinguish benign from malignant solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) with non-solid components.

Methods

[F-18] FDG-PET/CT scans were performed on 53 consecutive patients (30 men, 23 women; mean age 65 years) who had SPNs with non-solid components identified by CT screening for lung cancer. All patients underwent surgical resection, and all lesions were pathologically proved. Visual score, maximal, and mean standardized uptake value (SUV), and maximal and mean lesion-to-normal tissue count density ratio (LNR) were calculated in all lesions. In addition, clinical characteristics, laboratory test results, and CT findings were assessed.

Results

Benign SPNs with non-solid components had a higher uptake on [F-18] FDG-PET/CT. Visual score, maximal and mean SUV, and maximal and mean LNR were significantly higher in the benign when compared with the malignant SPNs (P < 0.001). When the cutoff of 1.5 was assigned for maximal SUV, the diagnostic performance of [F-18] FDG-PET/CT in predicting benign SPN revealed 100.0% sensitivity, 96.4% specificity, and 100.0% accuracy.

Conclusions

[F-18] FDG-PET/CT is useful for the differential diagnosis of SPNs with non-solid components.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    Yukio Tsushima

  2. Division of Diagnostic Radiology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan

    Ukihide Tateishi

  3. Division of Biostatistics, Kitasato University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    Hajime Uno & Masahiro Takeuchi

  4. Division of Cancer Screening, Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan

    Takashi Terauchi

  5. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    Tomoyuki Goya

  6. Division of Diagnostic Imaging, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Edmund E. Kim

Authors
  1. Yukio Tsushima
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  2. Ukihide Tateishi
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  3. Hajime Uno
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  4. Masahiro Takeuchi
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  5. Takashi Terauchi
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  6. Tomoyuki Goya
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  7. Edmund E. Kim
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Correspondence to Ukihide Tateishi.

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Tsushima, Y., Tateishi, U., Uno, H. et al. Diagnostic performance of PET/CT in differentiation of malignant and benign non-solid solitary pulmonary nodules. Ann Nucl Med 22, 571–577 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-008-0160-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12149-008-0160-1

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