Unknown primary detected by FDG-PET. A review of the present indications of FDG-PET in head and neck cancers.

To investigate the indications of 18F-2-fluoro-2-Deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) Positron Emission Tomography (PET) in head and neck cancer, the present study focuses on a case of cervical metastatic lymph node, which is not detected by the routine approach. It discusses the potential role of FDG-PET in the detection of unknown primary tumors, lymph node metastasis and post radiation follow-up, and demonstrates the implications of its findings through a few examples. Based on the literature in the field of head and neck oncology, the paper recommends the following uses for FDG-PET: 1.

The levels of expression of galectin-3, but not of galectin-1 and galectin-8, correlate with apoptosis in human cholesteatomas.

Objectives: To investigate whether galectins 1, 3, and 8 are expressed in human cholesteatomas and whether any such expression does correlate with the level of apoptosis, which is, as we have previously shown, predictive of recurrence.7

Study Design: The analysis of 52 cholesteatomas resected by the same surgeon by means of canal wall up and canal wall down procedures.

Methods: The immunohistochemical levels of expression of galectins 1, 3, and 8 were quantitatively determined (using computer-assisted microscopy) on conventional histological slides by means of specific anti-galectin-1, anti-galectin-3, and anti-galectin-8 antibodies.