Initial evaluation of pulmonary abnormalities: CT-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy and fluoride-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography correlation

Fluoride-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) can e valuate patients with new pulmonary lesions. CT-guided fine-needle aspirati on (FNA) biopsy is a well described in the diagnosis of pulmonary lesions. In order to correlate results from these testing modalities, retrospective findings from FNA biopsies of pulmonary lesions are compared to concurrent FDG-PET scans. Files of the saint louis University hospital were retrospect ively searched for patients with CT-guided FNA biopsies of the lung during a consecutive 3-yr period. Patients were collected, and corresponding FDG-P ET scans were identified. Only new pulmonary presenting for initial evaluat ion were included. Findings were correlated. Forty patients with a total nu mber of 41 CT-guided FNA biopsies of the lung and thoracic cavity had corre sponding FDG-PET scans. The combined positivity of the two testing modaliti es, i.e., cases were both FNA and FDG-PET scan were positive, yielded a sen sitivity of 100% (37/37). Four patients had infectious/inflammatory process es by CT-guided FNA biopsy that were FDG-PET-positive for malignancy. CT-gu ided FNA biopsies with FDG-PET scans of pulmonary lesions are important, co mplementary diagnostic tools which can contribute significantly to the mana gement and treatment of pulmonary disease. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.