Objective To explore the significance of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positronemission tomography/ computed tomography (18F-FDGPET/CT) scanning for childhood neuroblastoma clinical staging.Methods From December 2014 to December 2015,59 patients confirmed as NB in BeijingChildren's Hospital,Capital Medical University,and finding or clinical features were selected by histopathology.Those patients underwent 18 F-FDG PET/CT,bone scan,cranial magnetic resonance image (MRI),bone marrowpuncture (two sites) and biopsy,regional CT,ultrasound,serumtumor markers like lactic dehydrogenase and neuronspecific enolase.In comparison of 18F-FDGPET/CT image findings with other detective methods,the differences were analyzed between the primary sites and metastasis were analyzed.Results (1) General featuresOut of 59 children with NB,31 were males,28 were females.Primary lesions were as follows14 cases located in the postmediastinum,44 cases in the retroperitoneum (1 case in retroperitoneum + postmediastinum),1 case in left neck.International Neuroblastoma Staging System Ⅰ to ⅣO,1,9 and 49 cases,respectively.(2)18F-FDGPET-CT manifestationsThe maximum of standardized uptake value (SUVmax)before-treatment group was (2.34 ± 1.06) which was larger than the post-surgery group value of (1.08 ± 0.50),and the difference was significant(F =5.699,P =0.000);bone marrowmetastasis ranged from 1.5 to 2.9,regional lymphatic metastasis ranged from 1.0 to 2.1.(3)18F-FDGPET-CT imaging compared with other detectionin bonemetastases,the whole body bone scan finding were normal in 3 cases,while PET/CT showed disseminated bone and bonemarrow involvement and bone scanning showed 2 cases had metastases,combined with 18 F-FDG PET/CT,which were considered as postoperative inflammatory reaction or residual tumortissues invade adjacent intervertebral foramen.Bonecytology was positive in 30 cases,while PET/CT showed 34 patients with bone marrowmetastasis,and 1 case was suspicious.In central metastasis,1 case of PET/CT showed epidural metastasis,while cranial MRI was negative;Cranial MRI showed 9 cases had skullmetastasis,1 case had orbital metastasis,1 case had meningeal metastases;while 18F-FDGPET/CT showed no abnormality.All children had no parenchymal metastasis.Corresponding tumor markers as LDH was related to the maximum value of primary tumor focal SUVmax (rs =0.581,P < 0.01).Conclusions 18 F-FDG PET/CT can fully display the distribution of primary sites and metastases,and can be served as medical imaging evidence for both the diagnosis and staging of neuroblastoma.But as for cranial bone and central metastasis,it has high false negative rate.Clinical practice should be combined with cranial MRI to improve relevance ratio.