We performed an observational pilot study of 18F-FLT PET/CT in pediatric lymphoma. Eight patients with equivocal 18F-FDG PET/CT underwent imaging with 18F-FLT PET/CT. No immediate adverse reactions to 18F-FLT were observed. Compared to 18F-FDG, 18F-FLT uptake was significantly higher in bone marrow and liver (18F-FLT SUV 8.6±0.6 and 5.0±0.3, versus 18F-FDG SUV 1.9±0.1 and 3.4±0.7, resp., p<0.05). In total, 15 lesions were evaluated with average 18F-FDG and 18F-FLT SUVs of 2.6±0.1 and 2.0±0.4, respectively. Nonspecific uptake in reactive lymph nodes and thymus was observed. Future studies to assess the clinical utility of 18F-FLT PET/CT in pediatric lymphoma are planned.
Pathogenesis and Pathology of Pediatric Lymphoma