METHODS: In this pictorial review, we present six different scenarios of using 18F-FDG PET-CT in the management of suspicious pulmonary nodule or mass. The advantages and limitations of 18F-FDG PET-CT and Herder model are discussed.
RESULTS: 18F-FDG PET-CT with risk assessment using Herder model provides added value in characterising indeterminate pulmonary nodules. Besides, 18F-FDG PET-CT is valuable to guide the site of biopsy and provide accurate staging of lung cancer.
CONCLUSION: To further improve its diagnostic accuracy, careful history taking, and CT morphological evaluation should be taken into consideration when interpreting 18FFDG PET-CT findings in patients with these nodules.
Case Report: Three cases that had been initially presented as a cystic neck lesion in which a benign etiology was considered primarily were compiled in this study. PTC was only diagnosed after surgical excision of these cystic neck lesions in the first two cases, and after performing fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and an 18fluorine-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET CT) scan in the latter case.
Conclusion: PTC can sometimes present as a cystic neck mass; a presentation which is usually related to a benign lesion. This case series emphasizes that patients who appear to have a solitary cystic neck mass must be treated with a high index of clinical suspicion. Although not a first-line imaging modality, 18F-FDG-PET can be extremely useful in assessing patients with a cystic neck lesion, where diagnosis is still uncertain after standard investigations such as ultrasonography and FNAC have been performed.