Value of 18F-FDG uptake features in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant solitary pulmonary lesions / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To evaluate the value of 18F-FDG uptake features in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant solitary pulmonary lesions. Methods:A total of 274 patients (181 males, 93 females, age (61.0±10.2) years) with solitary pulmonary lesions who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT between September 2010 and March 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The 18F-FDG uptake features of lesions were divided into 5 types full uptake (Group A), circular uptake (Group B), multi-focus uptake (Group C), mild uptake (Group D) and no-uptake (Group E). According to the pathology or follow-up results, the incidences of benign and malignant lesions in each group were analyzed. The diagnostic efficiencies of 18F-FDG uptake feature classification(A+ B=malignancy, C+ D+ E=benign) and SUV method (lesions with SUV max≥2.5 was taken as the malignancy) were calculated. χ2 test and ROC curve were used to analyze the data. Results:The malignant incidences of Groups A-E were 86.25%(138/160), 71.05%(27/38), 31.25%(10/32), 43.48%(10/23) and 14.29%(3/21), respectively ( χ2=79.49, P<0.001), and the rate of Group A was the highest ( χ2 values 5.11-55.84, all P<0.05). There were significant differences in the malignancy incidence between A+ B group and C+ D+ E group (83.33%(165/198) vs 30.26%(23/76)), and between SUV max≥2.5 group and SUV max<2.5 group (76.09%(175/230) vs 29.55%(13/44); χ2 values 71.83 and 37.15, both P<0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the 18F-FDG uptake feature classification and the SUV method were 87.77%(165/188) vs 93.09%(175/188), 61.63%(53/86) vs 36.05%(31/86), 79.56%(218/274) vs 75.18%(206/274), 83.33%(165/198) vs 76.09%(175/230), 69.74%(53/76) vs 70.45%(31/44), respectively. ROC curve analysis showed that the diagnostic accuracy of the 18F-FDG uptake feature classification was higher than that of SUV method (AUCs 0.747, 0.646; Z=4.05, P<0.001). Conclusions:18F-FDG uptake feature classification can improve the diagnostic specificity and accuracy of solitary pulmonary lesions. The multi-focus uptake feature maybe a sign of benign lesions, which still needs more researches to confirm.