Koji Murakami MD, PhD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Yoshifumi Kuroki MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Takashi Satou, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Akira Hirayama, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Recent advancement of multidetector-row CT enables us to obtain high-quality virtual endoscopy (VE) for screening a tumor or evaluating anatomical mapping before biopsy or surgery. But VE has a weak point that cannot depict a shape of the tumor itself because conventional VE can demarcate only the surface of the tumor. The objects of this study are to estimate clinical usefulness of fusion image of FDG-PET and virtual endoscopy using PET/CT, which can show colored tumor depiction added to conventional virtual endoscopy.

Whole body FDG-PET and abdominal CT were performed in consecutive 21 patients with colorectal cancer for making virtual colonoscopy, FDG-PET and chest CT were performed in 4 patients with lung cancer for creating virtual bronchoscopy or virtual mediastinoscopy. Attenuation-corrected PET imaging was underwent 1hour after intravenous injection of 300MBq of FDG, and following CT was performed. We used anti-peristaltic drugs and inflated colon by air pumping for colorectal cancer patients. Virtual endoscopy fused FDG-PET were analyzed by comparing real endoscopy and pathological diagnosis.

Malignant tumor was clearly depicted both on PET-colonoscopy and PET-bronchoscopy in all cases, but there were some misragistration due to peristalsis in virtual colonoscopy. On the other hand, there were almost no misregistration in virtual bronchoscopy and mediastinoscopy showing excellent fusion images with PET. PET -mediastinoscopy can depict mediastinal lymph node with good conspicuity. The tumor or lymph node which contrasted well with normal tissue were helpful to decide most suitable point of biopsy or to give anatomical mapping before surgery.

PET-VE can depict hypermetabolic tumor and lymph node with good contrast resolution. We can conclude that PET-VE was useful for preoperative mapping before biopsy or surgery, and this method is a new usage of PET/CT.

Murakami, K, Kuroki, Y, Satou, T, Hirayama, A, Usefulness of PET-VE (Virtual Endoscopy): A New Usage of PET/CT.  Radiological Society of North America 2005 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 27 - December 2, 2005 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2005/4412331.html