Background: Positron emission tomography (PET scan) using fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is increasingly recognized as a reliable diagnostic method to detect metastases of malignant melanoma (MM).
Objective: To compare the diagnostic performance of 18-FDG PET scan to that of conventional imaging.
Methods: A total of 28 assessments were conducted in 24 patients at risk of metastatic MM.
Results: The diagnostic accuracy was over 80% and similar for PET scan and conventional imaging.
Conclusion: Both the specificity and sensitivity of PET scan are high although not perfect. Confrontation of data with anatomical location and clinicopathological findings remains mandatory.
Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.