Early 2'-deoxy-2'-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose PET metabolic response after corticosteroid therapy to differentiate cancer from sarcoidosis and sarcoid-like lesions.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

We aimed at investigating whether early metabolic response to corticosteroid therapy may be used as a diagnostic tool to discriminate between cancer and sarcoidosis, a well-known cause of false-positive 2-deoxy-2-[F-18]fluoro-D: -glucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) findings in oncology.

PROCEDURE:

Two cancer patients with biopsy-proven sarcoidosis or sarcoid-like reaction had multiple thoracic FDG foci. After infectious disease had been excluded, patients received oral corticosteroids for 16 and 14 days, respectively, and underwent posttherapeutic FDG-PET examination.

RESULTS:

Posttreatment PET revealed a complete metabolic response in both patients, and clinical and imaging follow-up showed no sign of cancer progression.

CONCLUSION:

Early metabolic response to systemic corticosteroid treatment may be used as a tool in the establishment of final diagnosis when sarcoidosis is suspected in a cancer patient and could be capable of differentiating cancer from sarcoidosis in the case of coexisting diseases.

• Authors: Nicolas Aide, Djelila Allouache, Yann Ollivier, Sixtine de Raucourt, Odile Switsers, Stéphane Bardet
• Journal: Molecular imaging and biology (Mol Imaging Biol) 2009 Jul-Aug Vol. 11 Issue 4 Pg. 224-8 ISSN: 1860-2002 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19333656 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Adrenal Cortex Hormones
• Radiopharmaceuticals
• Fluorodeoxyglucose F18

Topics

• Adrenal Cortex Hormones (therapeutic use)
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Female
• Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms (diagnosis, diagnostic imaging)
• Positron-Emission Tomography
• Radiopharmaceuticals
• Sarcoidosis (diagnosis, diagnostic imaging, drug therapy)