Efficiency of Positron Emission Tomography with 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose, 11С-Methionine and 82Rb-Chloride in Differential Diagnosis of Lung Tumors and Some Inflammatory Pulmonary Diseases

The aim of the investigation was to study the informativeness of positron emission tomography (PET) using ¹⁸F-FDG, ¹¹С-methionine and ⁸²Rb-chloride in differential diagnosis of tumor and some inflammatory pulmonary diseases.

Materials and Methods. PET findings of 378 patients with lung tumors and inflammatory pulmonary diseases were studied. PET with ¹⁸F-FDG and ¹¹С-methionine were performed 120 and 15 min, respectively, after their intravenous administration. PET with ⁸²Rb-chloride was performed 1 min after distant intravenous administration. Quantitative processing of PET findings regardless the medication used included visual image analysis and calculation of Standardized Uptake Value (SUV) in healthy pulmonary parenchyma and in lesion.

Results. SUV in patients with lung cancer in PET with ¹⁸F-FDG and ¹¹С-methionine were higher than metabolic activity in an inflammation region, while in PET with ⁸²Rb-chloride, SUV levels were significantly higher in the foci of inflammation than in malignant tumors. The patients with benign tumors and most patients with focal pneumofibrosis in pulmonary tissue consolidation area were recorded to have background distribution of radiopharmaceuticals. It enabled to reliably differentiate benign tumors and focal pneumofibrosis from lung cancer regardless the medications used.

Conclusion. The obtained data on the informativeness of positron emission tomography performed using ¹¹С-methionine suggest high diagnostic value of the technique in the differential diagnosis of lung cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, benign tumors and inflammatory diseases. Despite good imaging potential PET with ⁸²Rb-chloride is unreasonable in differentiation of lung tumors and inflammatory pulmonary diseases.

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Tlostanova М.S. Efficiency of Positron Emission Tomography with 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose, 11С-Methionine and 82Rb-Chloride in Differential Diagnosis of Lung Tumors and Some Inflammatory Pulmonary Diseases. Sovremennye tehnologii v medicine 2014; 6(3): 45