[F]fluoro-ethylcholine-PET Plus 4D-CT (FEC-PET-CT): A Break-Through Tool to Localize the "Negative" Parathyroid Adenoma. One Year Follow Up Results Involving 170 Patients.

Background: The diagnostic performance of [F]fluoro-ethylcholine-PET-CT&4D-CT (FEC-PET&4D-CT) to identify parathyroid adenomas (PA) was analyzed when ultrasound (US) or MIBI-Scan (MS) failed to localize. Postsurgical one year follow-up data are presented.

Methods: Patients in whom US and MS delivered either incongruent or entirely negative findings were subjected to FEC-PET&4D-CT and cases from July 2017 to June 2020 were analyzed, retrospectively.

Correlation of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging of peritoneal carcinomatosis and clinical outcome after peritonectomy and HIPEC after 3 years of follow-up: preliminary results.

Purpose: In patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis, cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is an evolving approach with curative intention. Previous studies indicate a correlation between preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and surgical findings regarding the extent of peritoneal carcinomatosis. The aim of this study was to assess retrospectively whether preoperative MRI can predict the outcome and is therefore a suitable tool for patient selection.

Is there any additional benefit of contrast-enhanced CT as part of routine PET/CT protocols for the differentiation of suspicious incidental gastrointestinal 2-deoxy-(18)F-FDG uptake?

Objective: Suspicious incidental gastrointestinal FDG uptake during positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) examinations can be caused by different diseases, including malignancies. However, differentiation with PET alone is difficult. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of PET alone, contrast-enhanced CT (ceCT), and low-dose CT (ldCT) in routine PET/CT protocols for differentiation of incidental gastrointestinal lesions.

Staging of neuroendocrine tumours: comparison of [⁶⁸Ga]DOTATOC multiphase PET/CT and whole-body MRI.

Purpose: In patients with a neuroendocrine tumour (NET), the extent of disease strongly influences the outcome and multidisciplinary therapeutic management. Thus, systematic analysis of the diagnostic performance of the existing staging modalities is necessary. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of 2 whole-body imaging modalities, [(68)Ga]DOTATOC positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with NET with regard to possible impact on treatment decisions.

Preoperative assessment of peritoneal carcinomatosis: intraindividual comparison of 18F-FDG PET/CT and MRI.

Objective: Exact determination of localization and extent of peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) before peritonectomy and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is crucial for the clinical outcome. Our study compares dynamic contrast enhanced 3D MRI (T1wDCE) and 18F-FDG PET/CT regarding diagnostic accuracy in correlation with surgical exploration (SE) and histological (HI) results.

Materials And Methods: 15 patients with PC were examined on a 1.

Peritoneal carcinomatosis: comparison of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging with surgical and histopathologic findings.

Objective: In patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) accurate preoperative assessment is essential to determine indication and surgical procedure to ensure optimal outcome. Purpose of our study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy (DA) of multiphasic dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI to determine the extent of PC in correlation with surgical and histopathological findings.

Materials And Methods: 14 Patients with proven PC were examined on a 1.

Multiphase contrast-enhanced CT with highly concentrated contrast agent can be used for PET attenuation correction in integrated PET/CT imaging.

Purpose: State-of-the-art positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) systems incorporate multislice CT technology, thus facilitating the acquisition of multiphase, contrast-enhanced CT data as part of integrated PET/CT imaging protocols. We assess the influence of a highly concentrated iodinated contrast medium (CM) on quantification and image quality following CT-based attenuation correction (CT-AC) in PET/CT.

Methods: Twenty-eight patients with suspected malignant liver lesions were enrolled prospectively.

MRI-based attenuation correction for whole-body PET/MRI: quantitative evaluation of segmentation- and atlas-based methods.

Unlabelled: PET/MRI is an emerging dual-modality imaging technology that requires new approaches to PET attenuation correction (AC). We assessed 2 algorithms for whole-body MRI-based AC (MRAC): a basic MR image segmentation algorithm and a method based on atlas registration and pattern recognition (AT&PR).

Methods: Eleven patients each underwent a whole-body PET/CT study and a separate multibed whole-body MRI study.

FDG-PET/CT-guided biopsy of bone metastases sets a new course in patient management after extensive imaging and multiple futile biopsies.

A 73-year-old man with a history of prostate and bladder carcinoma and persistent back pain was diagnosed by MRI with multiple vertebral metastases including a compression fracture of T7. He received radiotherapy for pain relief and for vertebral instability with incipient spinal stenosis, but additional targeted systemic therapy was intended. Therefore, multiple attempts at minimally invasive and open biopsies for histological characterisation of the bone metastases were performed, but failed to provide a conclusive specimen, although CT, MRI and bone scintigraphy were used for biopsy planning.

The use of positron emission tomography/CT in the diagnosis of tuberculosis-associated uveitis.

Background: Detection of tuberculosis as the underlying disease in uveitis can be problematic because of the limited sensitivity of conventional diagnostic methods, especially in the case of latent infection. The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/CT ((18)F-FDG-PET/CT) in patients with uveitis and positive interferon-γ release assay.

Methods: We screened 95 patients with different uveitis forms by QuantiFERON TB-Gold test.

PET/CT with 18F-FLT: does it improve the therapeutic management of metastatic germ cell tumors?

Unlabelled: Because (18)F-FDG PET alone has only limited value in metastatic germ cell tumors (GCTs), we investigated the addition of 3'-deoxy-3'-(18)F-fluorothymidine (FLT) to (18)F-FDG for early response monitoring and prediction of the histology of residual tumor masses in patients with metastatic GCT.

Methods: Eleven patients with metastatic GCT were examined with both (18)F-FDG PET/CT and (18)F-FLT PET/CT before chemotherapy, after the first cycle of chemotherapy (early response), and 3 wk after completion of chemotherapy. In 1 patient with negative (18)F-FLT PET/CT results before chemotherapy, no further (18)F-FLT scanning was performed.

Presumed tuberculosis-induced retinal vasculitis, diagnosed with positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT), aspiration biopsy, and culture.

Purpose: The diagnosis of tuberculosis as an etiological factor in patients with uveitis is difficult because of lack of specific diagnostic tests. The authors report 2 cases of occlusive retinal vasculitis, in which (18)F-FDG-PET/CT was helpful for the diagnosis of tuberculosis as a presumptive cause of intraocular inflammation.

Methods: In 2 patients with severe occlusive retinal vasculitis and positive QuantiFERON TB-Gold test, (18)F-FDG-PET/CT, transbronchial needle-aspiration biopsy, and microbiological investigation were performed.

Integrated FDG-PET/CT for detection, therapy monitoring and follow-up of granulocytic sarcoma. Initial results.

Aim: Granulocytic sarcomas (GS) are rare extramedullary manifestations of myeloid or lymphoblastic leukaemia. Laboratory examinations are of limited use for diagnosis of extramedullary disease. Radiological imaging based on morphology is challenging.

(18)F-FDG-PET/CT to select patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis for cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Background: Cytoreductive surgery followed by hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is associated with significantly longer survival in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). So far, no morphological imaging method has proven to accurately assess the intra-abdominal tumor spread. This study was designed to predict tumor load in patients with PC using dual-modality (18)FDG-PET/CT and to compare the results with those of PET and CT alone by correlating imaging findings with intraoperative staging.

MRI-based attenuation correction for PET/MRI: a novel approach combining pattern recognition and atlas registration.

Unlabelled: For quantitative PET information, correction of tissue photon attenuation is mandatory. Generally in conventional PET, the attenuation map is obtained from a transmission scan, which uses a rotating radionuclide source, or from the CT scan in a combined PET/CT scanner. In the case of PET/MRI scanners currently under development, insufficient space for the rotating source exists; the attenuation map can be calculated from the MR image instead.

[Selection criteria for peritonectomy with hyperthermic intraoperative chemotherapy (HIPEC) in peritoneal carcinomatosis].

Background: Cytoreductive peritonectomy with hyperthermic intraoperative chemotherapy (HIPEC) is an established therapy for patients with gastrointestinal, gynaecological metastasised peritoneal carcinomatosis as well as primary peritoneal carcinomatous tumours.

Methods: On the basis of a literature review and our personal experience, selection criteria for peritonectomy are discussed.

Results: Computed tomography (CT) scans and diagnostic laparoscopy are not sufficient for the diagnosis of peritoneal carcinomatosis.

Computed tomography, positron emission tomography, positron emission tomography/computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging for staging of limited pleural mesothelioma: initial results.

Objective: To evaluate and compare the role of computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), PET/CT, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the correct staging of patients with limited malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).

Materials And Methods: Fifty-four patients with an epithelial MPM (34 men and 20 women) were included in this study. Patients were referred to our department for staging in a predicted resectable state (stage II/III).

Single and dual energy attenuation correction in PET/CT in the presence of iodine based contrast agents.

In present positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) scanners, PET attenuation correction is performed by relying on the information given by a single CT scan. The scaling of the linear attenuation coefficients from CT x-ray energy to PET 511 keV gamma energy is prone to errors especially in the presence of CT contrast agents. Attenuation correction based upon two CT scans at different energies but performed at the same time and patient position should reduce such errors and therefore improve the accuracy of the reconstructed PET images at the cost of introduced additional noise.

[Detection of bone metastasis of prostate cancer - comparison of whole-body MRI and bone scintigraphy].

Purpose: Prostate cancer continues to be the third leading cancer-related mortality of western men. Early diagnosis of bone metastasis is important for the therapy regime and for assessing the prognosis. The standard method is bone scintigraphy.

Positron emission tomography/computed tomography and whole-body magnetic resonance imaging in staging of advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer--initial results.

Objective: To evaluate and compare positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (wbMRI) in the correct staging of patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials And Methods: Fifty-two patients with an NSCLC stage IIIa or IIIb (36 males and 16 females) were included in this study. Patients were referred to our department for restaging.

Histological verification of 11C-choline-positron emission/computed tomography-positive lymph nodes in patients with biochemical failure after treatment for localized prostate cancer.

Objectives: To evaluate the potential of (11)C-choline-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) for planning surgery in patients with prostate cancer and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) relapse after treatment with curative intent.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 10 patients with PSA recurrence after either external beam radiation (two) or radical retropubic prostatectomy (eight) for prostate cancer, and who had a laparoscopic lymphadenectomy for suspicious lymph nodes detected on (11)C-choline-PET/CT. The histological results and PET/CT findings were compared.

Comparison of 11C-choline-PET/CT and whole body-MRI for staging of prostate cancer.

Unlabelled: Aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of positron emission tomography and computed tomography with (11)C-Choline (Cho-PET/CT) and whole body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) for diagnostic work-up of prostate cancer.

Patients, Methods: We evaluated retrospectively 42 patients with untreated prostate cancer (n = 17), or increasing levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) after curative therapy (n = 25) who had been investigated by both Cho-PET/CT and WB-MRI. MRI, CT, and PET images were separately analyzed by experienced radiologists or nuclear medicine experts, followed by consensus reading.

[Cost considerations for whole-body MRI and PET/CT as part of oncologic staging].

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate and discuss economic aspects of whole-body MRI and PET/CT in oncologic staging. Considerations from the perspective of the health care system, the radiologist, and the patients are presented.

Materials And Methods: Costs of both whole-body techniques are compared with the conventional radiologic diagnostic recommendations of the AWFM (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Wissenschaftlich Medizinischer Fachgesellschaften) in oncologic staging of the five most frequent tumor entities.

Processing of generator-produced 68Ga for medical application.

Unlabelled: The (68)Ge/(68)Ga generator provides an excellent source of positron-emitting (68)Ga. However, newly available "ionic" (68)Ge/(68)Ga radionuclide generators are not necessarily optimized for the synthesis of (68)Ga-labeled radiopharmaceuticals. The eluates have rather large volumes, a high concentration of H(+) (pH of 1), a breakthrough of (68)Ge, increasing with time or frequency of use, and impurities such as stable Zn(II) generated by the decay of (68)Ga, Ti(IV) as a constituent of the column material, and Fe(III) as a general impurity.