Aine Sakurada MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Ukihide Tateishi MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Tetsuo Maeda MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yasuaki Arai MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Kazuro Sugimura MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yutaka Imai MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

The present study was conducted to clarify the diagnostic accuracy of F-18 FDG integrated positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) in the staging in pediatric sarcomas.

Fifty pediatric patients with histologically proven sarcomas who underwent F-18 FDG PET-CT prior to treatment were evaluated retrospectively for detection of nodal and distant metastases. Diagnostic accuracy of PET-CT in detecting nodal and distant metastases was compared with that of PET and conventional imaging (CI). The images were reviewed and a diagnostic consensus was reached by two board-certified radiologists who were unaware of any clinical or other radiologic information. Reference standard was histological examination in 15 patients and/or confirmation of an obvious progression in number and/or size of the lesions on follow-up examinations.

Nodal metastasis was correctly assessed in 48 patients (96 %) with PET-CT in contrast to 43 patients (86 %) with PET, and 46 patients (92%) with CI. Diagnostic accuracies of nodal metastasis in three modalities were similar. Using PET-CT, distant metastasis was correctly assigned in 43 patients (86%), while interpretation based on PET alone or CI revealed distant metastasis in 33 patients (66%) and 35 patients (70%), respectively. Diagnostic accuracy of distant metastasis with PET-CT was significantly higher than that of PET (p=0.002) or CI (p=0.008). False negative results regarding distant metastasis by PET-CT in seven patients (14%) were caused by subcentimetric lesions (n=4), bone marrow lesion (n=2), and soft tissue lesions (n=1).

PET-CT is more accurate than PET alone or CI regarding distant metastasis in pediatric sarcomas.

PET-CT is more accurate than PET alone or CI regarding distant metastasis in pediatric sarcomas.

Sakurada, A, Tateishi, U, Maeda, T, Arai, Y, Sugimura, K, Imai, Y, Diagnostic Accuracy of F-18 FDG PET-CT in Staging of Pediatric Sarcomas.  Radiological Society of North America 2007 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 25 - November 30, 2007 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2007/5006658.html