PURPOSE: To prospectively compare the accuracy of positron emission to
mography (PET) with 2-[fluorine-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) in
imaging thoracicoabdominal lymphoma to that of computed tomography (CT
). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients with lymphoma (11 with non-
Hodgkin lymphoma [NHL] and five with Hodgkin disease) underwent FDG-PE
T and CT. Blinded, independent interpretations of PET and CT studies w
ere followed by a direct comparison of the images. Measurement of tumo
r uptake of FDG was performed on positive PET studies. RESULTS: Fifty-
four foci of abnormal uptake were detected with PET in 3 patients. For
ty-nine corresponding sites of lymphadenopathy and/or masses were dete
cted with CT. All sites of adenopathy seen at CT were detected at PET.
Three patients with Hodgkin disease had negative findings at abdomina
l PET, CT, and subsequent staging laparotomy. FDG uptake was comparabl
e for both the low- and intermediate-grade lymphomas. CONCLUSION: Thes
e preliminary data indicate excellent accuracy for FDG-PET imaging of
thoracicoabdominal lymphoma. All grades of NHL were successfully image
d with FDG-PET. PET appears to be a useful method for imaging lymphoma
.