Manifestations of18F-FDG PET/CT in Primary Tracheal Cancer / 中国医学影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Purpose To improve the understanding of features and diagnostic value of PET/CT imaging in primary tracheal cancer as it is a rare disease.Materials and Methods The18F-FDG PET/CT image data of 11 patients with primary tracheal cancer confirmed pathologically were retrospectively analyzed. The contrast-enhanced CT scan was performed in 9 patients. The PET/CT and contrast-enhanced CT imaging data were analyzed.Results Out of the 11 cases, 5 were adenoid cystic carcinoma, 4 were squamous cell carcinoma and 2 were adenocarcinoma. Endotracheal round or elongated uptake lesions were found in PET imaging. The maximum standardized uptake value of adenoid cystic carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma were 4.5±1.2, 8.1±1.7 and 4.5±2.4, respectively. The accuracy of diagnosis of PET/CT was 100%(11/11). Soft tissue density nodule or mass in trachea was found in CT scan. The accuracy of CT diagnosis was 81.8% (9/11). Among the 9 patients who underwent enhanced CT scan, 3 had significantly enhanced lesions and 6 had moderate enhanced ones. Mediastinal lymph node metastasis was found in 1 patient. There was no distant metastasis in all the 11 patients.Conclusion Primary tracheal cancer has features of PET/CT imaging such as soft tissue nodules or mass in tracheal lumen or on its walls accompanied by FDG increase. The utilization of metabolic and anatomic imaging of PET/CT has great significance in clinical diagnosis and therapy of primary tracheal cancer.