Abstract
Previous studies have suggested that whole body positron-emission tomography (PET) can distinguish between benign and malignant cysts of the pancreas. Patients were identified (n=68) who had undergone whole body PET imaging for a cystic lesion of the pancreas between Jan. 1997 and May 2005. Cross-sectional imaging studies were reviewed by a single blinded radiologist, and positive PET studies were reviewed by a blinded nuclear medicine physician. Operative resection was performed in 21 patients (31%), and 47 patients were managed with radiographic follow-up. F-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-avid lesions were identified in eight of the 68 patients (12%). Within the resected group of patients (n=21), four of the seven patients (57%) with either in situ or invasive malignancy (adenocarcinoma: 3 of 5, papillary mucinous carcinoma: 1 of 2) had positive PET imaging (mean SUV, 5.9; range 2.5-8.0), and 2 of the 14 patients (14%) with benign lesions had positive PET imaging (serous cystadenoma, n=1, SUV=3.3; pseudocyst n=1, SUV=2.7). All lesions proven to be malignant with increased FDG uptake had highly suspicious findings on cross-sectional imaging. Within the group of resected patients, the sensitivity of PET for identifying malignant pathology was 57%, and the specificity was 85%. The sensitivity and specificity of PET for malignancy in this study was lower than previously reported, and PET findings did not identify otherwise occult malignant cysts. We do not believe whole body FDG-PET to be essential in the evaluation of cystic lesions of the pancreas.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Fernandez-del Castillo C, Warshaw AL. Cystic tumors of the pancreas. Surg Clin North Am 1995;75:1001–1016.
Allen PJ, Jaques DP, D’Angelica M, Bowne WB, Conlon KC, Brennan MF. Cystic lesions of the pancreas: Selection criteria for operative and nonoperative management in 209 patients. J Gastrointest Surg 2003;7:970–977.
Sakorafas GH, Sarr MG. Cystic neoplasms of the pancreas: What a clinician should know. Cancer Treat Rev 2005;31:507–535.
Conlon KC. Management of cystic lesions of the pancreas. Clin Adv Hematol Oncol 2005;3:461–463.
Spinelli KS, Fromwiller TE, Daniel RA, Kiely JM, Nakeeb A, Komorowski RA, et al. Cystic pancreatic neoplasms: Observe or operate? Ann Surg 2004;239:651–657.
Siech M, Tripp K, Schmidt-Rohlfing B, Mattfeldt T, Widmaier U, Gansauge F, et al. Cystic tumours of the pancreas: Diagnostic accuracy, pathologic observations and surgical consequences. Langenbecks Arch Surg 1998;383:56–61.
Lim SJ, Alasadi R, Wayne JD, Rao S, Rademaker A, Bell R, Talamonti MS. Preoperative evaluation of pancreatic cystic lesions: Cost-benefit analysis and proposed management algorithm. Surgery 2005;138:672–679; discussion 679–680.
Sahani DV, Kadavigere R, Blake M, Fernandez-del Castillo C, Lauwers GY, Hahn PF. Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of pancreas: Multi-detector row CT with 2D curved reformations-correlation with MRCP. Radiology 2006;238:560–569.
Walsh RM, Henderson JM, Vogt DP, Baker ME, O’Malley CM Jr, Herts B, et al. Prospective preoperative determination of mucinous pancreatic cystic neoplasms. Surgery 2002;132:628–633.
Pelaez-Luna M, Chari ST. Cyst fluid analysis to diagnose pancreatic cystic lesions: An as yet unfulfilled promise. Gastroenterology 2006;130:1007–1009.
Tanaka M, Chari S, Adsay V, Fernandez-del Castillo C, Falconi M, Shimizu M, Yamaguchi K, Yamao K, Matsuno S. International Association of Pancreatology. International consensus guidelines for management of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms and mucinous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas. Pancreatology 2006;6:17–32.
Sperti C, Pasquali C, Decet G, Chierichetti F, Liessi G, Pedrazzoli S. F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in differentiating malignant from benign pancreatic cysts: A prospective study. J Gastrointest Surg 2005;9:22–28.
Sperti C, Pasquali C, Chierichetti F, Liessi G, Ferlin G, Pedrazzoli S. Value of 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in the management of patients with cystic tumors of the pancreas. Ann Surg 2001;234:675–680.
Taouli B, Vilgrain V, Vullierme MP, Terris B, Denys A, Sauvanet A, et al. Intraductal papillary mucinous tumors of the pancreas: Helical CT with histopathologic correlation. Radiology 2000;217:757–764.
Curry CA, Eng J, Horton KM, Urban B, Siegelman S, Kuszyk BS, Fishman EK. CT of primary cystic pancreatic neoplasms: Can CT be used for patient triage and treatment? AJR Am J Roentgenol 2001;177:469–470.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mansour, J.C., Schwartz, L., Pandit-Taskar, N. et al. The utility of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose whole body PET imaging for determining malignancy in cystic lesions of the pancreas. J Gastrointest Surg 10, 1354–1360 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gassur.2006.08.002
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gassur.2006.08.002