RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinic value of (18)F-FDG PET/CT imaging in differentiation of malignant from benign disease in lung. METHODS: 188 patients underwent (18)F-FDG 45 min early and 2 h delayed PET/CT imaging after intravenous injection of (18)F-FDG. The standardized uptake value (SUV) and retention index (RI) of region of interesting were calculated. The histological diagnosis or clinical findings in a 12 months follow-up period served as the standard of truth. RESULTS: In 114 patients with malignant disease and 74 patients with benign disease, the sensitivity, speciality and accuracy of (18)F-FDG PET/CT imaging in differentiation of malignant from benign lung nodules (diameter more than 10 mm) were 98.2%, 80.0%, and 96.6%, in mediastinal lymph nodes and were 95.7%, 41.7%, and 84.8%, respectively. The sensitivity of (18)F-FDG PET imaging for lung nodules (diameter less than 10 mm) was lower than CT. CONCLUSIONS: Integrated PET/CT imaging provides high sensitivity, specificity and reasonably high accuracy for lung cancer.