Role of PET Scan in Staging Work - up and Reevaluation after Therapy in Lymphoma

Yuh, Young Jin; Jung, Chul Won; Im, Seock Ah; Heo, Dae Seog; Bang, Yung Jue; Park, Seonyang; Chung, June Key; Lee, Myung Chul; Kim, Byoung Kook; Kim, Noe Kyeong

Abstract

PURPOSE: The authors evaluated the usefulness of the positron emission tomography (PET) with fluorine-18-tluorodeoxyglucose (8F-FDG) in initial staging, reevaluation after radical therapy and diagnosis of recurrence for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, compaired to conventional imaging studies.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
FDG-PET (ECAT Exact 47, Siemens) and conventional chest X-ray and computerized tomography (CT) were studied in patients with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
RESULTS
There were 17 patients (13 male, 4 female). Age was ranged from 18 to 62 years (median 49). By histological subgroup, diffuse large cell were 8 cases, peripheral T cell were 2 cases, diffuse mixed was 1 case, follicular mixed was 1 case, Burkitt's lymphoma was 1 case, Hodgkin's disease were 3 cases. The aims for PET were the initial staging work-up in 7 cases, the reevaluation of residual disease after radical therapy in 7 cases, the diagnosis of recurrence after complete remission in 3 cases. Between PET image and the conventional image, there were 3 cases with discrepancy, 1 case for initial staging work-up and 2 cases for the reevaluation of residual disease after radical therapy. Among the 3 cases with discrepancy, the 2 cases for the reevaluation of residual disease after radical therapy revealed that PET image reflects the involvement of lymphoma more accurately than the conventional image.
CONCLUSION
The visual analysis of FDG-PET would be helpful in determining the residual disease of lymphoma after radical therapy.