Role of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT Imaging in Cardiac Masses

Purpose: Given the small number of cardiac masses reported, ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT in the imaging workup of cardiac masses is not well established. This retrospective study analyzed the role of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT imaging in the evaluation of cardiac masses. Patients and Methods: ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT findings were reviewed in 58 patients(28 men, 30 women; mean age ± SD, 51.0 ± 13.6)who had previously undergone surgical treatments of cardiac masses. The patients underwent standard oncological preparation for PET examination (with a fasting period of at least 6 h). Histology served as ground truth. ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT was evaluated based on visual interpretation and the semiquantitative index of SUVmax. Results: The patients were divided into 2 groups, with 33 benign tumors and 25 malignant tumors. Based on visual analysis, the sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of cardiac malignancy was 96.0% (24/25) and 93.9% (31/33), respectively. The SUVmax in malignant lesions was significantly higher than in nonmalignant cases (8.3 ± 4.7 vs. 2.4 ± 1.0, P < 0.001). With the cutoff of SUVmax (3.8), the sensitivity and specificity of SUVmax in the diagnosis of cardiac malignancy was 96.0% and 93.9%, respectively.

Conclusions: The diagnostic efficacy between visual interpretation and the semiquantitative analysis in the diagnosis of cardiac malignancy is consistent. ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT imaging can aid the noninvasive diagnosis of cardiac masses.