Radiology, Vol 195, 705-709, Copyright © 1995 by Radiological Society of North America
Malignant melanoma: staging with whole-body positron emission tomography and 2-[F-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose
HC Steinert, RA Huch Boni, A Buck, R Boni, T Berthold, B Marincek, G Burg and GK von Schulthess
Department of Medical Radiology, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
PURPOSE: To evaluate whole-body positron emission tomography (PET) with
2-[fluorine-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) in the detection of
metastasis from melanoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Whole-body PET was
performed in 33 patients with either known metastatic or newly diagnosed
melanoma. Patients with suspected metastases also underwent computed
tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or both. Diagnoses were confirmed
with histologic examination or with at least one imaging modality in
addition to PET. Blinded interpretations of PET scans were performed.
RESULTS: Forty of 53 lesions evaluated proved to be melanoma metastases.
Whole-body PET correctly depicted 37 sites of metastases. Three cutaneous
metastases (< 3 mm) were missed. PET correctly excluded malignancy in 10
cases where suspicious lesions were found with conventional cross-sectional
imaging modalities but later ruled out with fine-needle biopsy. In six
patients, PET depicted new metastases. The sensitivity for the detection of
malignant lesions was 92%; the specificity for reading the PET images
without clinical information was 77% and with clinical information was
100%. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that whole-body FDG PET is an
effective imaging modality to screen for metastases from malignant
melanoma.
