This current study was designed to appraise the diagnostic value of F-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET/CT) in evaluating and possible grading of intracranial space occupying lesions.
Materials & Methods
The study was performed on 27 patients referred from the department of Neurosurgery at a tertiary care institute of north India. Data was collected through history and clinical examination which was followed by baseline investigations and finally imaging. The study subjects were planned to be divided into four distinct groups: low grade tumours (n=7), high grade tumours (n=5), metastases (n=13), and other lesions (n=2). This division was based on the WHO classification post clinico-histological diagnosis. The subjects underwent CECT, CEMRI and 18F-FDG PET/CT preoperatively. All were followed up postoperatively and histopathological reports were regarded as the gold standard for tumour grading.
Results
The results showed that high grade tumours (Grade III/IV & IV/IV according to the WHO classification) did not show a statistically significant SUVmax or SUVmax per unit volume indices when compared with low grade tumours or metastatic lesions.
Conclusions
The results of this study suggest that 18F-FDG PET/CT indices of SUVmax or SUVmax per unit volume of tumour by themselves are not reliable indices for differentiating high grade tumours from lower grade ones or metastases however PET-CT imaging could rule out metastases from primary CNS malignancies by evaluating the rest of the body.
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