Focal uptake of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose by thyroid in patients with nonthyroidal head and neck cancers.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the prevalence and significance of focal thyroid lesions identified by (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with nonthyroidal head and neck cancers (HNC).

PATIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS:

Patients with histologically identified HNC who underwent FDG-PET and computed tomography (CT) were reviewed retrospectively. We evaluated the prevalence of patients with focal thyroid FDG uptake and the risk of malignancy and proper management in these patients.

RESULTS:

Of 689 HNC patients, 19 (2.8%) had focal thyroid FDG uptake. Of the 12 patients with a histological diagnosis by surgery or needle biopsy, 5 (41.7%) had carcinomas, 4 papillary and 1 follicular, whereas the others had benign thyroid lesions. The maximum standardized uptake value on PET was not sufficient to discriminate between malignant and benign thyroid lesions (8.4 +/- 13.2 vs. 4.2 +/- 4.0; P > 0.4). The identification of incidental thyroid diseases helped guide patient counselling and combined surgery with HNC and thyroidectomy.

CONCLUSION:

Focal thyroid lesions incidentally found on FDG-PET in patents with nonthyroidal HNC have a high probability of malignancy. These lesions deserve further diagnostic examination before HNC treatment to ensure adequate therapy for incidental thyroid cancers.

• Authors: Soon Yuhl Nam, Jong-Lyel Roh, Jae Seung Kim, Jeong Hyun Lee, Seung-Ho Choi, Sang Yoon Kim
• Journal: Clinical endocrinology (Clin Endocrinol (Oxf)) Vol. 67 Issue 1 Pg. 135-9 (Jul 2007) ISSN: 0300-0664 [Print] England
• PMID: 17465995 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Radiopharmaceuticals
• Fluorodeoxyglucose F18

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Biopsy, Fine-Needle
• Carcinoma, Papillary (diagnostic imaging, pathology)
• Carcinoma, Papillary, Follicular (diagnostic imaging, pathology)
• Female
• Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 (pharmacokinetics)
• Head and Neck Neoplasms (diagnostic imaging, pathology)
• Humans
• Incidental Findings
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Radionuclide Imaging
• Radiopharmaceuticals (pharmacokinetics)
• Retrospective Studies
• Statistics, Nonparametric
• Thyroid Neoplasms (diagnostic imaging, pathology)
• Thyroid Nodule (diagnostic imaging, pathology)
• Thyroidectomy
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed