[Fluorodeoxyglucose F18(FDG)-probe guided biopsy]

Although positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) has improved the diagnosis of malignant and inflammatory abnormalities, histopathological examination is often required to supplement imaging examination in order to make a definite diagnosis. In some cases a lesion is not visible using conventional imaging techniques but is visible on a PET scan with fluorodeoxyglucose F18 (FDG). In other cases a lesion cannot be approached percutanuously because of localisation or size of the lesion. In these cases the surgeon can now perform an FDG-probe guided biopsy or resection. Using this technique the surgeon can peroperatively detect lesions that have taken up radioactive FDG - so-called FDG-avid lesions - and excise these for histopathological examination. This technique reduces the inadvertent excision of non-representative tissue and can be of value for localising FDG-avid lesions for total resections. FDG-probe guided surgery can potentially increase the sensitivity of diagnostic resections.