scholarly journals The clinical impact of incidental sellar uptake on F-18 FDG PET/CT

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. IJE15
Author(s):  
Zehra Pınar Koç ◽  
Pelin Özcan Kara ◽  
Emel Sezer ◽  
Kadir Eser ◽  
Anıl Özgür
Keyword(s):  
Fdg Pet ◽  
Standardized Uptake Value ◽  
Sellar Region ◽  
Primary Tumors ◽  
Fdg Uptake ◽  
Pet Ct ◽  
Frequent Finding ◽  
Metastatic Involvement ◽  
Fdg Pet Ct

Aim: The most frequent finding associated with incidental fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in sellar region in oncologic F-18 FDG PET/CT is adenoma. However, reports of metastatic involvement exist. We investigated the clinical significance of incidental FDG uptake in this region. Materials & method: 34 patients with several primary tumors who were referred for staging, restaging or treatment response via F-18 FDG PET/CT were included. Images were reviewed and patients with significant FDG uptake in the sellar region were referred. Results: Mean lesion diameter was 11.9 ± 4.9 mm and mean standardized uptake value was 8.2 ± 6.1. Thirteen patients underwent MRI, and the others underwent follow-up F-18 FDG PET/CT. MRI revealed metastatic involvement in nine patients and macro- or micro-adenoma in four. Metastatic patients also had other lesions, yet management did not change. Conclusion: FDG accumulation in the sellar region might be associated with metastasis or adenoma. However, it did not change management. Future studies are warranted.

scholarly journals Quantitative analysis of myocardial metabolic heterogeneity is superior to visual assessment for the detection of active cardiac sarcoidosis by F-18 FDG PET-CT imaging

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Malik ◽  
M Yazdani ◽  
SM Gould ◽  
E Reyes
Keyword(s):  
Fdg Pet ◽  
Cardiac Sarcoidosis ◽  
Visual Assessment ◽  
Ct Imaging ◽  
Myocardial Inflammation ◽  
Fdg Uptake ◽  
Pet Ct ◽  
Metabolic Heterogeneity ◽  
Fdg Pet Ct

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Myocardial inflammation may occur in the context of a multisystem disease such as sarcoidosis, adversely affecting prognosis. A definitive diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is essential to implementing life-saving treatment but this is complicated by the invasive nature of endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) and its low accuracy. Positron emission tomography (PET) assists in diagnosis, which relies on visual interpretation of myocardial F-18 FDG uptake. The value of quantitative analysis and its application to clinical practice remain uncertain. Purpose To investigate the power of quantitative F-18 FDG PET-CT imaging analysis for detecting CS in patients with suspected disease. Methods All patients underwent F-18 FDG PET-CT after a 24-hour low-carbohydrate diet and 15-hour fasting as part of their diagnostic work-up for suspected cardiac inflammation. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance acted as gatekeeper to PET-CT in 8 of every 10 scans. Myocardial F-18 FDG uptake was assessed qualitatively and quantitatively using both manually drawn regions of interest and automatic polar maps to measure global and segmental standardised F-18 FDG uptake values (SUV).  The coefficient of variation (CoV) was calculated to determine uptake heterogeneity. To confirm diagnosis, follow-up data regarding disease progression, further testing and treatment were collected. To allow for sufficient follow-up time, the first 40 consecutive patients from a prospective registry (n= 214; Sep 2017-Jun 2020) were included. Results A comprehensive clinical picture was obtained successfully in 37 patients (median [IQR], 17 [13.5] months) and a final diagnosis of CS reached in 7 (disease prevalence, 19%). EMB was performed in 2 patients only while 3 underwent PPM/ICD implantation. Significant predictors of CS were fulfilment of Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare criteria (Wald, 6.44; p = 0.01) and left ventricular dysfunction (Wald 6.72; p = 0.01). Qualitative F-18 FDG PET-CT had a high negative (95%) but low positive (45%) predictive value for CS (sensitivity, 83%; specificity, 77%). F-18 FDG SUV CoV was the strongest imaging predictor (Wald, 6.77; p = 0.009) and was significantly higher in CS than non-CS (CoV median [quartiles], 0.26 [0.21, 0.36] and 0.12 [0.11, 0.14] respectively; p = 0.004). As per ROC curve analysis (AUC, 0.84), a CoV threshold of 0.20 was highly specific (93%) and sensitive (86%) for CS. Conclusion In a referring population with a low prevalence of cardiac sarcoidosis, F-18 FDG PET-CT imaging is sensitive for the detection of myocardial inflammation with active disease unlikely in patients with a negative scan. Quantitative evaluation of metabolic heterogeneity within the myocardium provides a strong, independent marker of active disease and should be considered alongside visual assessment.

scholarly journals Pulmonary Findings of [18F]FDG PET/CT Images on Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 839
Author(s):  
Tzu-Chuan Ho ◽  
Chin-Chuan Chang ◽  
Hung-Pin Chan ◽  
Ying-Fong Huang ◽  
Yi-Ming Arthur Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Fdg Pet ◽  
Standardized Uptake Value ◽  
Fdg Uptake ◽  
Asymptomatic Patients ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Pet Ct ◽  
18F Fdg ◽  
Maximal Standardized Uptake Value ◽  
Fdg Pet Ct

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, several case studies demonstrated that many asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 underwent fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) examination for various indications. However, there is a lack of literature to characterize the pattern of [18F]FDG PET/CT imaging on asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. Therefore, a systematic review to analyze the pulmonary findings of [18F]FDG PET/CT on asymptomatic COVID-19 patients was conducted. This systematic review was performed under the guidelines of PRISMA. PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science were used to search for articles for this review. Articles with the key words: “asymptomatic”, “COVID-19”, “[18F]FDG PET/CT”, and “nuclear medicine” were searched for from 1 January 2020 to 20 May 2021. Thirty asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 were included in the eighteen articles. These patients had a mean age of 62.25 ± 14.85 years (male: 67.71 ± 12.00; female: 56.79 ± 15.81). [18F]FDG-avid lung lesions were found in 93.33% (28/30) of total patients. The major lesion was [18F]FDG-avid multiple ground-glass opacities (GGOs) in the peripheral or subpleural region in bilateral lungs, followed by the consolidation. The intensity of [18F]FDG uptake in multiple GGOs was 5.605 ± 2.914 (range from 2 to 12) for maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax). [18F]FDG-avid thoracic lymph nodes (LN) were observed in 40% (12/40) of the patients. They mostly appeared in both mediastinal and hilar regions with an SUVmax of 5.8 ± 2.93 (range from 2.5 to 9.6). The [18F]FDG uptake was observed in multiple GGOs, as well as in the mediastinal and hilar LNs. These are common patterns in PET/CT of asymptomatic patients with COVID-19.

Abstract 12920: The Value of 18 FDG PET/CT in the Diagnostic Work-Up of Patients With Possible Infective Endocarditis

Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio Chirillo ◽  
Franco Boccaletto ◽  
Paola Pantano ◽  
Alessandro De Leo ◽  
Marta Possamai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infective Endocarditis ◽  
Clinical Judgment ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Fdg Pet ◽  
Blood Cultures ◽  
Fdg Uptake ◽  
Duke Criteria ◽  
Pet Ct ◽  
Fdg Pet Ct

The diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE) is sometimes difficult when there are discrepancies between blood cultures, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and clinical judgment. The aim of this study was to assess the incremental diagnostic value of 18 F-FDG-PET/CT in 45 consecutive patients (73% male, mean age 61 ± 26 years) with suspected IE and inconclusive tests at admission. In 28 patients (19 with a cardiac valvular (15) or nonvalvular (4) device) with blood cultures positive for germs typically involved in IE the initial TEE was negative or inconclusive. In 10 patients presenting with fever TEE identified cardiac lesion possibly related to IE (ruptured mitral chordae, thickened valve leaflet, thickened prosthetic annulus), but blood cultures were persistently negative. Finally, 7 patients had metastatic or embolic lesions and a predisposing cardiac condition, but TEE was negative. When previous unknown lesions detected by PET/CT were confirmed by succeeding examinations, they were considered true positives. When PET/CT was negative, it was compared with the final diagnosis that was defined according to the modified Duke criteria determined during a 6-month follow-up. Thirty patients had definite IE at the end of the follow-up, 3 had possible IE, and in 12 patients the diagnosis was rejected. Twenty-seven patients (60%) exhibited abnormal FDG uptake around the cardiac valves, and 12 (27%) had extracardiac accumulation. In 5 patients the initial negative TEE became positive a mean 5 ±7 days after PET/CT had been performed The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of PET/CT were as follows (95% confidence interval): 87% (68% to 95%), 67% (38% to 87%), 84% (65% to 94%), and 71% (42% to 92%), respectively. Adding abnormal FDG uptake as a new major criterion significantly increased the sensitivity of the modified Duke criteria at admission (68% [53% to 82%] vs. 96% [88% to 99%], p = 0.01). This result was due to a significant reduction (p < 0.001) in the number of possible IE cases. In conclusion PET/CT increases the diagnostic accuracy for IE in the subset of patients with possible IE and may help to manage a challenging situation.

Clinical value of FDG PET/CT in predicting local failure in patients with esophageal cancer.

2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e15197-e15197
Author(s):  
Bingjie Fan ◽  
Man Hu ◽  
Li Kong ◽  
Xiaoli Zhang ◽  
Zheng Fu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Esophageal Cancer ◽  
Local Recurrence ◽  
Fdg Pet ◽  
Residual Tumor ◽  
Local Failure ◽  
Fdg Uptake ◽  
Failure Patterns ◽  
Pet Ct ◽  
Fdg Pet Ct

e15197 Background: Local failure, including local residual tumor and local recurrence, is the most common failure patterns for patients with esophageal cancer (EC) treated with radiotherapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) for predicting local failure in patients with EC. Methods: Twenty-two patients with biopsy-proven EC treated definitively with RT with or without chemotherapy were enrolled from June 2010 to August 2012. Dose of 60.4 - 70.2 Gy with 1.8 - 2.0Gy /fraction were delivered with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (CRT). All patients underwent FDG PET/CT scan prior to therapy. The patients were followed up every 3 months after treatment completion. Patients who developed local failure were confirmed with histological evidence or follow-up. Results: The follow up time was in the range of 5-30 months. Of 22 patients, 3 patients had local residual tumor, 2 patients experienced local recurrence. The mean SUVmax for patients with local failure was higher than that for patients without local failure (15.688±3.115 vs. 14.137± 4.397, p = 0.54). The local failure regions were mostly the regions with higher metabolic activity before radiotherapy. Conclusions: Patients with higher FDG-uptake may have higher risk to experienced local failure. The local failure regions were localized mostly in the higher FDG uptake regions of pre-therapeutically FGD PET/CT scans of the patients with EC.

scholarly journals Thyroid lesions incidentally detected by 18F-FDG PET-CT ― a two centre retrospective study

2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Jamsek ◽  
Ivana Zagar ◽  
Simona Gaberscek ◽  
Marko Grmek
Keyword(s):  
Fdg Pet ◽  
Malignant Lesion ◽  
Standardized Uptake Value ◽  
Benign Lesions ◽  
Fdg Uptake ◽  
Pet Ct ◽  
Thyroid Uptake ◽  
Malignant Lesions ◽  
Fdg Pet Ct ◽  
Thyroid Lesions

AbstractBackground. Incidental18F-FDG uptake in the thyroid on PET-CT examinations represents a diagnostic challenge. The maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax) is one possible parameter that can help in distinguishing between benign and malignant thyroid PET lesions.Patients and methods. We retrospectively evaluated18F-FDG PET-CT examinations of 5,911 patients performed at two different medical centres from 2010 to 2011. If pathologically increased activity was accidentally detected in the thyroid, the SUVmaxof the thyroid lesion was calculated. Patients with incidental18F-FDG uptake in the thyroid were instructed to visit a thyroidologist, who performed further investigation including fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) if needed. Lesions deemed suspicious after FNAC were referred for surgery.Results. Incidental18F-FDG uptake in the thyroid was found in 3.89% ― in 230 out of 5,911 patients investigated on PET-CT. Malignant thyroid lesions (represented with focal thyroid uptake) were detected in 10 of 66 patients (in 15.2%). In the first medical centre the SUVmaxof 36 benign lesions was 5.6 ± 2.8 compared to 15.8 ± 9.2 of 5 malignant lesions (p < 0.001). In the second centre the SUVmaxof 20 benign lesions was 3.7 ± 2.2 compared to 5.1 ± 2.3 of 5 malignant lesions (p = 0.217). All 29 further investigated diffuse thyroid lesions were benign.Conclusions. Incidental18F-FDG uptake in the thyroid was found in 3.89% of patients who had a PET-CT examination. Only focal thyroid uptake represented a malignant lesion in our study ― in 15.2% of all focal thyroid lesions. SUVmaxshould only serve as one of several parameters that alert the clinician on the possibility of thyroid malignancy.

Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Interpretation Criteria for Assessment of Antibiotic Treatment Response in Pyogenic Spine Infection

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia A. Riccio ◽  
Angel K.M. Chu ◽  
Harvey R. Rabin ◽  
Reinhard Kloiber
Keyword(s):  
Soft Tissue ◽  
Fdg Pet ◽  
Emission Tomography ◽  
Active Infection ◽  
Spine Infection ◽  
Fdg Uptake ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Pet Ct ◽  
Fdg Pet Ct

Purpose The objective of the study was to determine if fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) can assess the response of patients with pyogenic spine infection to antibiotic treatment in a clinically useful time frame. Methods Twenty-eight patients with suspected pyogenic spine infection had baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT. Patients with proven or probable infection were divided into good and poor responders to antibiotic therapy based on clinical criteria. These patients had a follow-up 18F-FDG PET/CT 6-8 weeks later. Results Six of 28 patients were deemed negative for infection based on 18F-FDG PET/CT. Two patients were excluded because of discrepancies in interpretation. Of the 20 patients deemed positive for infection, 13 had a pathogen isolated and all showed 18F-FDG uptake in bone and/or soft tissue at baseline. Patients with a poor clinical response to treatment had persistent 18F-FDG uptake in bone and/or soft tissue on follow-up. Patients with good clinical response had uptake confined to the margins of the destroyed disc. None of these patients had recurrent infection, even if antibiotics had already been discontinued at the time of the follow-up scan. Conclusions 18F-FDG uptake confined to the margins of a destroyed disc after antibiotic therapy of pyogenic spine infection must not be considered indicative of persistent infection and likely represents mechanically induced inflammation. 18F-FDG uptake in bone or soft tissue does indicate active infection. Quantification of activity could not reliably differentiate patients with active infection from those without active infection and those who had had a successful response to therapy. The pattern of activity is critical to accurate interpretation.

scholarly journals Use of 68Ga-PSMA-11 and 18F-FDG PET-CT Dual-Tracer to Differentiate Between Lymph Node Metastases and Ganglia

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiping Shi ◽  
Lian Xu ◽  
Yinjie Zhu ◽  
Yining Wang ◽  
Ruohua Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lymph Node ◽  
Lymph Node Metastases ◽  
Fdg Pet ◽  
Standardized Uptake Value ◽  
Fdg Uptake ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Pet Ct ◽  
Node Metastases ◽  
Ct Data ◽  
Fdg Pet Ct

PurposeDifferentiating lymph node metastases (LNM) from peripheral ganglia by physiological prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) uptake is challenging. Two tracers (68Ga-PSMA-11 and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose [FDG]) metabolic uptake patterns were evaluated by positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT), searching for differences that could tell ganglia from LNM.MethodsDual 68Ga-PSMA-11 and 18F-FDG PET-CT data of 138 prostate cancer patients acquired from June 2018 to December 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. Ganglia and LNM with PSMA-11 uptake above local background were analyzed by the location and PSMA-11-PET and FDG-PET maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax).ResultsPSMA-11-positive ganglia (n = 381) and LNM (n = 83) were identified in 138 and 58 patients, respectively. The LNM SUVmax of PSMA-11-PET (16.4 ± 14.8 vs 2.3 ± 0.7, P &lt; 0.001) and FDG-PET (3.3 ± 3.2 vs 1.5 ± 0.5, P &lt; 0.001) were higher than in ganglia. The probabilities of being an LNM in the low-potential (PSMA-11-PET SUVmax of &lt;4.1 and FDG-PET SUVmax of &lt;2.05), moderate-potential (PSMA-11-PET SUVmax of &gt;4.1 and FDG-PET SUVmax of &lt;2.05, or PSMA-11-PET SUVmax of &lt;4.1 and FDG-PET SUVmax of &gt;2.05), and high-potential (PSMA-11-PET SUVmax of &gt;4.1 and FDG-PET SUVmax of &gt;2.05) groups were 0.9% (3/334), 44.6% (37/83), and 91.5% (43/47), respectively (P &lt; 0.001). The cervical and coeliac ganglia had higher PSMA-11 and FDG uptake than the sacral ganglia (P &lt; 0.001 for all). LNM PSMA-11 and FDG uptake was similar in these three locations.ConclusionThe FDG-PET and PSMA-11-PET SUVmax, especially when combined, could well differentiate LNM from ganglia. The tracers uptake differed between cervical/coeliac and sacral ganglia, so the lesion location should be considered during image assessment.

scholarly journals Clinical relevance of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the postoperative follow-up of patients with history of medullary thyroid cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelena Saponjski ◽  
Djuro Macut ◽  
Dragana Sobic Saranovic ◽  
Branislava Radovic ◽  
Vera Artiko
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Value ◽  
Fdg Pet ◽  
Somatostatin Receptor ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Standardized Uptake Value ◽  
True Negative ◽  
Medullary Thyroid ◽  
Pet Ct ◽  
Fdg Pet Ct

AbstractBackgroundThe aim of the study was evaluation of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET/CT) in the detection of active disease in the patients with suspected recurrence of the medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).Patients and methods18F-FDG PET/CT investigation was performed in 67 patients, investigated from 2010 to 2019. _ Follow up was performed from 6 to 116 months after surgery (median 16.5 months, x± SD = 29±28.9 months). Twenty five of 67 patients underwent 99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid (99mTc-DMSA) scintigraphy, 11 underwent somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) with 99mTc-HYNIC TOC while 11 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy.ResultsFrom 67 patients, 35 (52.2%) had true positive 18F-FDG PET/CT findings (TP). Average maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax) for all TP lesions was 5.01+3.6. In 25 (37.3%) patients findings were true negative (TN). Four (6%) patients had false positive (FP) findings while three (4.5%) were false negative (FN). Thus, sensitivity of the 18F-FDG PET/ CT was 92.11%, specificity 86.21%, positive predictive value 89.74%, negative predictive value 89.29% and accuracy 89.55%. In 27 patients (40%) 18F-FDG PET/CT finding influenced further management of the patient.Conclusions18F-FDG PET/CT has high accuracy in the detection of metastases/recurrences of MTC in patients after thyroidectomy as well as in evaluation and the appropriate choice of the therapy.

[68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 PET/CT in The Staging of Gastric Cancer: Improved Diagnostic Efficacy Confirmed By Postoperative Histopathology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rong Lin ◽  
Zefang Lin ◽  
Zhenying Chen ◽  
Shan Zheng ◽  
Jiaying Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gastric Cancer ◽  
Fdg Pet ◽  
Standardized Uptake Value ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Diagnostic Efficacy ◽  
Primary Tumors ◽  
Metastatic Lesions ◽  
Pet Ct ◽  
Fdg Pet Ct ◽  
N Staging

Abstract Purpose This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 and [18F]-FDG PET/CT in the primary and metastatic lesions of gastric cancer. Methods Fifty-six patients with histologically proven gastric carcinomas were enrolled in this study. Each patient underwent both [18F]-FDG and [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT within one week. Activity of tracer accumulation in lesions were assessed by maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and TBR (lesions SUVmax/ ascending aorta SUVmean). Histological work-up including immunohistochemical staining for FAP served as a standard of reference. Results [68Ga]Ga-FAPI PET/CT is superior in detecting primary tumors both in patient-based (100% [45/45] vs. 97.8% [44/45]) and lesion-based analyses (97.8% [45/46] vs. 95.7% [44/46]), showing higher SUVmax (10.25 vs. 8.13, P = 0.004) and TBR (11.63 vs. 5.83, P < 0.001), compared with [18F]-FDG PET/CT. The specificity and positive predictive value of [68Ga]Ga-FAPI were significantly higher than that of [18F]-FDG (100.0% vs. 97.7%, P < 0.001; 100.0% vs. 57.1%, P = 0.001) in determining the lymph node (LN) metastases. [68Ga]Ga-FAPI PET/CT was superior to [18F]-FDG PET/CT in N-staging (47.1% [8/17] vs. 23.5% [4/17]), and in evaluation for LN, peritoneum and bone metastases. [68Ga]Ga-FAPI PET/CT detected positive recurrent lesions in all patients and showed more positive lesions and clearer tumor delineation. Two patients underwent follow-up [68Ga]Ga-FAPI PET/CT scans after chemotherapy, which both showed remission. Conclusions [68Ga]Ga-FAPI PET/CT can better detect primary gastric cancer and metastatic lesions in peritoneum, abdominal LNs and bone, showing high usefulness in guiding N staging. Furthermore, [68Ga]Ga-FAPI PET/CT provides more information for patients with recurrence detection and also has great potential in monitoring response to treatment.

18F-FDG PET-CT postoperative changes after maxillectomy: Findings and pitfalls in interpretation

2021 ◽  
pp. 20200574
Author(s):  
Tima Davidson ◽  
Johnatan Nissan ◽  
Maria Krichmar ◽  
Eyal Lotan ◽  
Shai Shrot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fdg Pet ◽  
Ct Scanning ◽  
Fdg Uptake ◽  
Postoperative Changes ◽  
Pet Ct ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Fdg Pet Ct ◽  
Mucosal Thickening ◽  
Ct Features

Objective: We investigated the findings and pitfalls of FDG-PET/CT scanning after maxillectomy with reconstruction/rehabilitation procedures, in patients with head and neck malignancies treated during nine years at one tertiary medical centre. Methods: Fourteen patients (10 males), aged 22–84 years, underwent 17 reconstruction/rehabilitation maxillectomy surgeries and 35 PET/CT scans. Postoperative PET/CT findings were correlated with clinical and imaging follow-up. Results: Increased FDG uptake, mean SUVmax 2.4 ± 1.4 (range 0.3–4.3), was observed at the postoperative bed following 12 of 17 surgeries (71%; 10 obturators, two mesh reconstructions). Following the remaining 5/17 surgeries (three with a fat flap and two without any reconstructions), abnormal FDG uptake was not observed at the postoperative bed. CT features of postoperative sites included: non-homogeneous mixed iso/hyperdense structures (hollow or filled) with multiple surrounding and/or inside air bubbles (“sponge appearance”) and mucosal thickening along the postoperative bed wall (in all cases with obturator implants); rich fat density material in reconstructions with a fat flap and in closures without reconstruction, and radiopaque elongated structures in mesh reconstructions. No correlation was found of the mean SUVmax in initial scans, with the time from the surgery date (10 ± 6 months; r=0.04, P=0.90), or with the mean SUVmax in final scans (at 25± 17 months, P=0.17). Conclusions: : Increased FDG uptake, together with corresponding non-specific CT features, may persist for a prolonged period after surgery with obturators and mesh implantations, mimicking malignancy or infection. Awareness of variations in postoperative PET-CT appearance can help avoid false interpretations and redundant invasive procedures.

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