The performance and applied value of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT imaging in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia

Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) is a rare inert B lymphocyte lymphoma and the role of FDG PET/CT imaging in WM has not been well established. This study aimed to evaluate the metabolic status of WM by ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT imaging. We retrospectively analyzed 20 patients who underwent pretherapy ¹⁸F-FDG PET-CT scan. All patients were diagnosed by bone marrow aspiration, laboratory examination and clinical symptoms. Bone marrow involvement was identified with ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT imaging in 16 of 20, and the mean SUVmax of bone marrow was 4.06±0.85, Lymph nodes were involved in 8 of 20 patients, and the mean SUVmax of Lymph nodes was 4.07±1.27. Liver and spleen were involved in one case respectively, with SUVmax being 3.6 and 3.3. 1 case of extramedullary infiltration and 1 case of lymphomatous transformation. ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT imaging not only could reveal the metabolic status of lymph nodes, liver, spleen and bone marrow in WM patients, but also evaluate the status of tumor burden which helps to formulate personalized treatment plans.