Related Experiment Videos
Positron emission tomography of thyroid masses
1Department of Radiology, University Hospitals of Cleveland, CWRU, School of Medicine, Ohio.
Thyroid : Official Journal of the American Thyroid Association
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Positron emission tomography (PET) using [18F]-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) can detect suspicious thyroid nodules. While visual assessment is insufficient, FDG uptake ratios may help differentiate malignant from benign thyroid lesions.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Medicine
- Oncology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Thyroid nodules are common, with a small percentage being malignant.
- Accurate differentiation between benign and malignant thyroid nodules is crucial for appropriate patient management.
- Positron emission tomography (PET) offers functional imaging insights into cellular metabolism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of FDG-PET in the differential diagnosis of suspicious thyroid nodules.
- To assess if FDG uptake parameters can distinguish between malignant and benign thyroid lesions.
Main Methods:
- Nine patients with suspicious thyroid nodules underwent FDG-PET imaging before surgical excision.
- Visual assessment of FDG uptake was performed.
- Dose uptake ratios (DURs) for FDG were calculated for all lesions.
Main Results:
- FDG-PET visually detected all three papillary carcinomas and four of six benign lesions (follicular adenomas and multinodular goiters).
- Malignant lesions exhibited significantly higher mean FDG DURs (10.9 +/- 3.9) compared to benign lesions (3.2 +/- 1.7; p = 0.0019).
- FDG DURs exceeded 8.5 for malignancies, while benign lesions ranged from 1.9 to 6.3.
Conclusions:
- FDG-PET is a promising tool for detecting suspicious thyroid nodules.
- FDG uptake ratios show potential in differentiating malignant from benign thyroid nodules.
- Further research is warranted to confirm PET's role, especially in distinguishing benign from malignant follicular neoplasms.