PET/CT detection of unexpected gastrointestinal foci of 18F-FDG uptake: incidence, localization patterns, and clinical significance.

Unlabelled: Precise PET/CT localization of focal (18)F-FDG uptake in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) may exclude malignancy in sites of physiologic activity but may also induce false-negative reports for malignant or premalignant lesions. The purpose of the present study was to retrospectively evaluate the nature and significance of unexpected focal (18)F-FDG uptake localized by PET/CT within the GIT.

Methods: The files of 4,390 patients referred for (18)F-FDG PET/CT were retrospectively reviewed.