Physiologic Thymic Uptake of 18F-FDG in Children and Young Adults: A PET/CT Evaluation of Incidence, Patterns, and Relationship to Treatment
Open Access
- 14 May 2009
- journal article
- Published by Society of Nuclear Medicine in Journal of Nuclear Medicine
- Vol. 50 (6), 849-853
- https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.108.058586
Abstract
18F-FDG uptake in the thymus, mainly related to hyperplasia after chemotherapy, has been described. Thymic uptake can challenge the accurate assessment of cancer patients by 18F-FDG imaging. The present study defines the incidence, patterns, and intensity of thymic 18F-FDG uptake in relationship to age and time after treatment in a large cohort of patients. Methods: A total of 559 consecutive 18F-FDG PET/CT studies in 160 patients (86 men, 74 women; age, 3–40 y) performed at baseline, during treatment, at the end of treatment, and during follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. PET/CT studies were assessed for the presence or absence (T+ or T−, respectively), pattern, and intensity (SUVmax) of increased 18F-FDG uptake in the anterior mediastinum, localized by the CT component to the thymus. The overall incidence of 18F-FDG avidity in the thymus in relationship to the patient's age and time after treatment administration were statistically evaluated. Results: There were 137 of 559 T+ studies (25%), with equal sex distribution. T+ studies were found in significantly younger patients (20.6 ± 9.3 y vs. 27.4 ± 8.4 y, P < 0.001). Most T+ patients (60%) showed an inverted V pattern of thymic uptake, with additional unilateral mediastinal extension in 24% and focal midline uptake in 16% of studies. T+ studies were encountered in 80% of patients younger than 10 y, compared with 8% of patients in the 31- to 40-y age group. There were 17% T+ studies at baseline, 6% during treatment, 8% at the end of treatment, and 27%–40% during follow-up. The average SUVmax of thymic 18F-FDG uptake was 3.73 ± 1.22. Conclusion: Thymic 18F-FDG uptake was found in 28% of the present study population, more frequently after treatment. T+ patients were significantly younger. Thymic uptake was found in 73% of untreated patients up to the age of 13 y and in 8% of patients in the fourth decade of life. Knowledge of this age- and treatment-related incidence of physiologic thymic 18F-FDG avidity can reduce the number of potential pitfalls in reporting PET/CT studies in cancer patients.This publication has 22 references indexed in Scilit:
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