Diagnostic value of 18 F-FDG PET/CT imaging for primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carci-noma / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To assess the diagnostic value of 18 F?FDG PET/CT imaging for primary pul?monary lymphoepithelioma?like carcinoma (LELC). Methods A total of 19 patients (10 males, 9 fe?males;average age 56.4 years) with suspected primary pulmonary LELC undergone whole?body 18F?FDG PET/CT and chest contrast CT scan were enrolled in this retrospective study. The SUVmax and uptake pat?terns of FDG, the histological types and the clinical stages were recorded. Image characteristics of contrast CT and FDG PET/CT were observed, and the diagnostic efficiency was calculated. Two?sample t test and one?way analysis of variance were used to analyze the results. Results The diagnostic sensitivity and spe?cificity of LELC were 12/13 and 4/6 for FDG PET/CT. The SUVmax of LELC lesions was significantly differ?ent from that of other lung malignant tumors or lung benign lesions (F=3.67, P<0?05). The lesion had longer diameter, lower CT density, higher SUVmax in stage Ⅳ patients, compared with that in stageⅠ-Ⅲpatients ( F=7.01, P<0.05) . The significant difference of SUVmax was found between lesions with ring up?take and lesions with other uptake types (3.94±0.67 vs 2.86±0.35; t=4.07, P<0?05). The SUVmax was higher in Schmincke tumors when compared with that in tumors of Regaud subtype ( 3. 61 ± 0. 71 vs 2. 76 ± 0?29; t=2.99, P<0.05) . Conclusion 18 F?FDG PET/CT could be an accurate method in differential diag?noses of primary pulmonary LELC.