Fine needle aspiration outcomes of masses detected by positron emissiontomography: correlation with standard uptake value
OBJECTIVES: To characterize the cytopathologic outcome of lesions detected onpositron emission tomography (PET) scan. STUDY DESIGN: Cases with fine needle aspiration (FNA)performed because of a PET-positive lesion over an 18-month period were reviewed. Correlation withthe standard uptake value (SUV) (using 2.5 as a cutoff value) was carried out. RESULTS: A total of112 FNAs were found, of which 83 had adequate tissue for evaluation and available corresponding SUVsto be included in the final study. Fisher’s exact test was carried out for correlation between FNAdiagnosis and SUV Sixty-one (73.5%) lesions had an SUV > or = 2.5, 53 (87%) ofwhich were malignantand 8 (13%) benign on cytology. Twenty-two (26.5%) lesions had an SUV < 2.5, of which 12 (54.5%)showed benign and 10 (45.5%) showed malignant cytology. The overall sensitivity, specificity,positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and diagnostic accuracy of SUV were84%, 60%, 87%, 56% and 78%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our data show that FNA procedures performedfor PET-positive lesions have high PPV, but low NPV. Therefore interpretation of PET SUV values <2.5 as benign should be made with extreme caution.
Pansare,V　Bandyopadhyay,S　Feng,J　Bhan,R　Joyrich,R　Husain,M　Al-Abbadi,M
Department of Pathology, Wayne State University, Barbara Ann Karmanos CancerCenter, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA.
Positron-Emission Tomography　 Fine needle biopsy, NOS Lesion, NOS uptake
