David Fred Yankelevitz MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Arin Lisa Kramer BS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Madeline F. Vazquez MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Ali Omer Farooqi MBBS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Emmett Alton Sartor, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Claudia Ingrid Henschke MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

To compare results of fine-needle aspiration biopsy of solitary pulmonary nodules 10 mm or less in diameter having recent prior FDG-PET scan.

We identified 61 cases of solitary pulmonary nodules of unknown etiology who had FDG-PET scan and were subsequently referred for trans-thoracic CT-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy by 5 chest physicians in 2001-2004. Nodule diameter was 4-10 mm (median 7.5 mm). FDG-PET imaging was performed using either GE Advance PET Scanner or GE Discovery Lightspeed PET/CT (GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, WI). Pulmonary nodules were considered PET+ when any increased uptake of the nodule was identified and PET- when there was no uptake. Cytology was defined as malignant or non-malignant, the latter including specific and non-specific benign diagnoses.

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy resulted in a cytologic diagnosis of malignancy in 26 and non-malignancy in 35. Of the 37 PET+ cases, 21 (57%) were malignant. Of the 24 PET- cases, 5 (21%) were malignant.

The malignancy rate of PET+ cases was lower than expected while that of PET- cases was higher than expected. This suggests a limited role for PET in the evaluation of nodules 10 mm or less.

Yankelevitz, D, Kramer, A, Vazquez, M, Farooqi, A, Sartor, E, Henschke, C, Comparison of FDG-PET with Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy of Solitary Pulmonary Nodules 10mm or Less in Diameter.  Radiological Society of North America 2005 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 27 - December 2, 2005 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2005/4420413.html