HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Szakáll, S. Articles by Trón, L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Szakáll, S., Jr. Articles by Trón, L.

¹⁸F-FDG PET Detection of Lymph Node Metastases in Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma

¹ PET Center, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
² Department of Radiotherapy, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
³ Department of Radiotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
⁴ Diagnostic Center, University of Kaposvár, Kaposvár, Hungary
⁵ Department of Surgery and Transplantation, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
⁶ Department of Nuclear Medicine, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary

Postsurgically elevated or increasing serum calcitonin levels strongly suggest the presence of residual or recurrent medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Several imaging modalities (sonography, MRI, CT, scintigraphy with different types of radiolabeled ligands, etc.) are routinely used in an attempt to localize tumorous tissue, but such efforts often fail. In the search for a more reliable method, ¹⁸F-FDG PET was applied to detect tumor tissue of residual or recurrent MTC. Methods: Forty patients with a postoperatively elevated plasma calcitonin level were included. These patients underwent routine diagnostic imaging procedures (CT, MRI, and ¹³¹I-metaiodobenzylguanidine [MIBG] whole-body planar scintigraphy or SPECT) and ¹⁸F-FDG PET examinations. Two independent experts visually analyzed the images provided by each method to detect pathologic lesions. Lymph nodes of 1 cm in short diameter that were detected by radiologic methods were considered to be pathologic. ¹⁸F-FDG accumulation with a sharp contour reported by both independent observers was similarly regarded as pathologic. Results: PET detected 270 foci with a high tracer accumulation, whereas only 116 lesions were detected by MRI and 141 by CT. The numbers of such foci determined by PET, MRI, and CT were 98, 34, and 34, respectively, in the neck; 25, 5, and 6, respectively, in the supraclavicular regions; and 117, 35, and 39, respectively, in the mediastinum. ¹³¹I-MIBG scintigraphy findings were positive for only 3 patients. Conclusion: For MTC patients with a postoperatively elevated plasma tumor marker level, PET was more sensitive and superior in localizing tumorous lymph node involvement than were the other imaging modalities, especially in the cervical, supraclavicular, and mediastinal lymphatic regions.

Key Words: PET • ¹⁸F-FDG • medullary thyroid cancer • lymph node metastasis

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A D KING, B B MA, Y Y YAU, B ZEE, S F LEUNG, J K T WONG, M K M KAM, A T AHUJA, and A T C CHAN The impact of 18F-FDG PET/CT on assessment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma at diagnosis Br. J. Radiol., April 1, 2008; 81(964): 291 - 298. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Oudoux, P.-Y. Salaun, C. Bournaud, L. Campion, C. Ansquer, C. Rousseau, S. Bardet, F. Borson-Chazot, J.-P. Vuillez, A. Murat, et al. Sensitivity and Prognostic Value of Positron Emission Tomography with F-18-Fluorodeoxyglucose and Sensitivity of Immunoscintigraphy in Patients with Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma Treated with Anticarcinoembryonic Antigen-Targeted Radioimmunotherapy J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., December 1, 2007; 92(12): 4590 - 4597. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. L. Giraudet, D. Vanel, S. Leboulleux, A. Auperin, C. Dromain, L. Chami, N. Ny Tovo, J. Lumbroso, N. Lassau, G. Bonniaud, et al. Imaging Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma with Persistent Elevated Calcitonin Levels J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., November 1, 2007; 92(11): 4185 - 4190. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. C. Ong, H. Schoder, S. G. Patel, I. M. Tabangay-Lim, I. Doddamane, M. Gonen, A. R. Shaha, R. M. Tuttle, J. P. Shah, and S. M. Larson Diagnostic Accuracy of 18F-FDG PET in Restaging Patients with Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma and Elevated Calcitonin Levels J. Nucl. Med., April 1, 2007; 48(4): 501 - 507. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Quon, N. J. Fischbein, I. R. McDougall, Q.-T. Le, B. W. Loo Jr., H. Pinto, and M. J. Kaplan Clinical Role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the Management of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck and Thyroid Carcinoma J. Nucl. Med., January 1, 2007; 48(1_suppl): 58S - 67S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. F. Scarsbrook, R. V. Thakker, J. A. H. Wass, F. V. Gleeson, and R. R. Phillips Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia: Spectrum of Radiologic Appearances and Discussion of a Multitechnique Imaging Approach. RadioGraphics, March 1, 2006; 26(2): 433 - 451. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Pacak, G. Eisenhofer, and D. S. Goldstein Functional Imaging of Endocrine Tumors: Role of Positron Emission Tomography Endocr. Rev., August 1, 2004; 25(4): 568 - 580. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.W. B. de Groot, Th.P. Links, P.L. Jager, T. Kahraman, and J.Th. M. Plukker Impact of 18F-Fluoro-2-Deoxy-D-Glucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET) in Patients with Biochemical Evidence of Recurrent or Residual Medullary Thyroid Cancer Ann. Surg. Oncol., August 1, 2004; 11(8): 786 - 794. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]