Key words

IJNM

Indian Journal of Nuclear Medicine

0972-3919

Society of Nuclear Medicine, India

ijnm-22-4-007

RESEARCH ARTICLE

PET/CT Directed Biopsies: Single Centre Experience of 140 Cases

Purandare

N C

Kulkarni

*Kulkarni

*Sharma

A R

Rangarajan

Bioimaging Unit, Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, 400012.* Department of Radio diagnosis, Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, 400012.

122007

224

Key wordsPET/CT Directed Biopsies

Aims

Conventional imaging modalities such as CT scan, X rays & Ultrasonography are primarily used for pretreatment staging as well as for restaging of various cancers. The same modalities are used for guiding biopsies for initial staging & for detection of recurrences. Integrated PET-CT provides information of function with structure, highlighting the viable portion of a tumor or lesion, which can also be used to direct biopsy. Our aim was to investigate the incremental value of PET-CT over conventional imaging modalities for directing biopsies in these groups of patients.

Materials & Methods

Retrospective analysis of 140 patients who were referred for guided biopsies either on the basis of PET-CT findings were included in the study. The images were reviewed by a qualified Nuclear Medicine physician & an interventional radiologist & a consensus was reached as regards the exact site & path of biopsy. The fusion images were loaded on the workstation just prior to the biopsy & findings were reconfirmed. The Reference standards were pathologic reports & follow up.Histopathological findings suggestive of tumor, infection/inflammation or any other pathology were considered to be true positive for PET/CT targeted biopsy.Histopathological findings which did not reveal cancer, infection/inflammation or any other pathology was considered to be true negative.

Results & Conclusion

Total number of subjects was 140. The lesions were divided as per sites such as lung lesions, lymph nodes, skeletal lesions & soft tissue deposits. The commonest site was lung followed by nodes, soft tissue deposits & skeletal lesions in that order. Incremental value of PET-CT was observed in normal sized nodes, skeletal lesions & soft tissue deposits & to a lesser extent for lung lesions. The net yield of a positive biopsy with PET/CT guidance was 90%. The study supports that PET-CT can be effectively used to direct biopsies & suggests that PET-CT may provide incremental improvement to diagnostic yield over conventional imaging modalities.

PET/CT Directed Biopsies: Single Centre Experience of 140 Cases

Keywords