Value of 18F-FDG PET-CT in the diagnosis, staging and treatment decision of lymphoma

Abstract

Objective To investigate the clinical value of 18F-FDG PET-CT in the diagnosis, clinical staging and treatment guide of malignant lymphoma. Methods A total of 136 lymphoma patients confirmed by pathological diagnosis who received 18F-FDG PET-CT and contrast enhanced CT (CECT) examination in Gansu Provincial Hospital from January 2011 to December 2016 were collected. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive values (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) of 18F-FDG PET-CT and CECT were evaluated, respectively. The effects of 18F-FDG PET-CT on diagnosis, clinical staging and treatment regimens of lymphoma were analyzed. Results The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV and NPV of 18F-FDG PET-CT in the diagnosis of lymphoma for all 136 patients was 98.2%, 82.1%, 94.9%, 95.5% and 92.0%, respectively. CECT was 80.6%, 67.9%, 77.9%, 90.6% and 47.5%, respectively. The difference in sensitivity and specificity between 18F-FDG PET-CT and CECT was statistically significant (χ2 = 16.0, P < 0.01). The accuracy of 18F-FDG PET-CT was higher than that of CECT. Compared with CECT, 26 (20.6%) patients with image of 18F-FDG PET-CT showed the increase of the clinical staging, 4 (2.9%) patients showed the decrease of the clinical staging, and 16 (11.8%) patients changed the treatment regimen after the stage alteration. Conclusion 18F-FDG PET-CT is superior to CECT in the diagnosis, clinical staging and treatment guide of lymphoma, which shows the promising prospect in the diagnosis and treatment of lymphoma. Key words: Lymphoma; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Positron-emission tomography; Contrast enhanced computed tomography