[Evaluation of gastroenterological disease by using 18F-FDG PET--differential diagnosis of malignancy from benignity]

In this study, we used 18F-FDG PET to differentiate gastroenterological malignancy from benignity. We investigated 122 patients with gastroenterological disease before treatment (with lesions exceeding 2.0 cm in diameter only). 60 min after injection of FDG, although 16 cases out of 17 benign disease did not reveal accumulation higher than normal tissue, 105 cases of malignant tumor except some of hepatocellular carcinoma revealed high accumulation of FDG. FDG uptake was expressed as the Ci/Cp ratio, calculated from radioactivity of the tumor (Ci) and the plasma (Cp). 89 cases out of 90 which show more than 2.0 of Ci/Cp ratio were malignant tumor. On the other hand, 32 cases which show less than 2.0 contained 16 cases of benign disease and 15 of hepatocellular carcinoma. FDG PET is a useful tool for differential diagnosis of malignant tumor from benign disease except some of hepatocellular carcinoma.