|
|
|
| Value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in diagnosing the unknown cause of ascites |
TAN Hai-bo, YAN Jin, ZHAO Jun, GUAN Yi-hui, HUA Feng-chun,
ZUO Chuan-tao, ZHANG Zheng-wei, WANG Hong-bing, LIN Xiang-tong |
| Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200235, China |
|
|
|
|
Abstract Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT for the patients with ascites of unknown causes. Methods: Twenty-two patients with ascites of unknown cause refered to our department for whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT. The causes of their ascites could not be confirmed by ultrasound, endoscope and/or radiographic imaging, CT and/or MRI, and diagnostic paracentesis for biochemical content and cytology. The images were interpreted by visual inspection and semi-quantitative analysis(standardized uptake value, SUV). Results: According to the results of follow-up and pathology, 14 patients were confirmed as malignant ascites, 4 ascitic patients were caused by other reasons, the causes of ascites were still unknown in 4 patients. In the 14 patients of malignant ascites, in 7 patients primary focus were found by 18F-FDG PET/CT and 7 patients were false negative. 10/22 cases(45.5%) were correctly diagnosed. Conclusions: 18F-FDG PET/CT was a more sensitive and effective method in finding the causes of ascites compared with traditional imaging methods.
|
|
Received: 15 November 2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2008, Vol. 19 
