Fluorine-18-Fluoroethylcholine PET/CT in the detection of XXXX : A South African experience.

@entity1 @entity263 @entity3 @entity420 @entity7886
OBJECTIVE: Imaging with fluorine-18-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ((18)F-FDG PET/CT) has, until recently provided disappointing results with low sensitivity ranging from 31%-64% in @entity1 with well-differentiated @entity263 ( @entity263 ) at all prostatic specific antigen (PSA) levels while fluorine-18-fluoroethylcholine ((18)F- @entity7886 ) PET/CT showed about 85% sensitivity in restaging @entity1 after relapse. We present our experience of the sensitivity of (18)F- @entity7886 PET/CT in the early stages of @entity263 . SUBJECT AND METHODS: Fifty @entity1 were prospectively recruited and imaged, of which 40 fulfilled all inclusion criteria. Our @entity1 had an average age of 65.5 years. Fifteen @entity1 were referred for initial staging, with the remaining 25 referred for restaging and all @entity1 had histologically confirmed @entity420 . @entity1 were imaged by (18)F- @entity7886 PET/CT. Findings were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively and compared to the results of histology, PSA, Gleason score and bone scintigraphy. The prostate SUVmax was also used. RESULTS: Thirty-one @entity1 demonstrated abnormal pelvic- and or extra- pelvic findings on (18)F- @entity7886 PET/CT, which was consistent with malignant or metastatic involvement. The prostate SUVmax could not be used to predict the presence or absence of @entity3 . CONCLUSION: Findings of this paper suggest that (18)F- @entity7886 PET/CT in 30/40 cases (estimated as 75%) was helpful in the initial staging, restaging and lymph node detection of @entity1 with @entity263 . The SUVmax was not helpful. We diagnosed more @entity263 cases in our African-American @entity1 as compared to the Caucasian @entity1 .
