Radiology, Vol 194, 131-134, Copyright © 1995 by Radiological Society of North America
Indeterminate adrenal mass in patients with cancer: evaluation at PET with 2-[F-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose
GW Boland, MA Goldberg, MJ Lee, WW Mayo-Smith, J Dixon, MM McNicholas and PR Mueller
Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114.
PURPOSE: To evaluate the ability of positron emission tomography (PET) to
characterize adrenal masses in patients with cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Twenty-four adrenal masses (size range, 1.5-10.0 cm [mean, 2.8 cm]) in 20
patients (13 men and seven women) with cancer (lung [n = 10], colon [n =
3], lymphoma [n = 3], miscellaneous [n = 4]) were evaluated. PET was
performed in fasting patients 45 minutes after infusion of 5-10 mCi
(185-370 MBq) of 2-[fluorine-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D- glucose (FDG). PET
images were correlated with findings at computed tomography (CT), surgery,
and/or percutaneous biopsy. RESULTS: Fourteen adrenal masses were proved
malignant at surgery (n = 4), biopsy (n = 7), or follow-up (n = 3). Ten
lesions were proved benign at biopsy (n = 4) or follow-up CT (n = 6). PET
helped correct differentiation of benign from malignant adrenal lesions in
all patients. A statistically significant difference (P < .001) was seen
between mean tumor-to- background ratios for malignant (mean, 7.4; range,
2.9-16.6; median, 6.9) versus benign (mean, 0.8; range, 0.2-1.2; median,
0.6) adrenal lesions. CONCLUSION: PET helped correct differentiation of
benign from malignant adrenal lesions.
