ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the clinical value of 18-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography-CT(~(18)FDG PET-CT) for recurrence and metastasis in treated esophageal carcinoma (EC). Methods A retrospective study is done on 37 previously treated EC patients who underwent PET-CT scans to detect recurrent or metastatic lesions.The diagnostic accuracy of ~(18)FDG PET-CT was assessed with the help of pathological finding as well as clinical or follow-up data.Results Fourty-six sites of recurrence were finally confirmed in 37 patients by cytology,pathology or follow-up data.The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of PET-CT in detecting recurrence of all sites were 93.5% (43/46),76.9% (20/26) and 87.5% (63/72),respectively.Two false-positive findings were found both at the anastomosis and hilar nodes,which caused the decrease in the overall specificity,especially that locally.The analysis of standard uptake value (SUV) demonstrated that patients with recurrence or who died during follow-up had higher SU- Vs compared with the control group.Condusions ~(18)FDG PET-CT is highly effective in detecting recur- rence in previously treated EC patients despite the low specificity at local sites.The analysis of stardard up- take value(SUV) provides incremental value in prognosis for this patient cohart.
ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the role of Color Doppler Flowing Imaging(CDFI) in assessing metastatic lymph node for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods Neck lymph node were detected by CDFI in 206 patients who received the initial course radiotherapy in our hospital. The characteristic of neck node, such as position, figure, number, size, its relation to surrounding soft tissue, the ratio of longitudinal diameter over trnsverses′(L/T) and blood flow resistance index (RI), were recorded detailedly. Fine needle aspiration biopsy was performed on some of patients under the guide of ultrasound. Results The clinical N-stage was changed markedly after CDFI plus biopsy, with up-staging in 25 from N0 to N1 , 6 N0 to N2, 20 N1 to N2, 3 N1 to N3, 4 N2 to N3; and down-staging in 14 from N2 to N1, 7 from N3 to N2. The misdiagnosis rate of node involvement by palpation was 38.3% (79/206). The sizes of lymph node detected by palpation were larger than those by CDFI (P0.6, and the value would reached to 92.9%(182/196) and 95.5%(107/112)when such criteria combined with the diameter and growth behavior of lymph node. Conclusion Color Doppler Flowing Imaging is useful in N-staging for nasopharyngeal carcinoma by providing more reliable evidence.