Journal List > Korean J Endocr Surg > v.9(3) > 1060362

Jung, Kang, and Yoo: Comparison of Neck CT and 18F-FDG PET-CT for Making the Preoperative Diagnosis of Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Cancer

Abstract

Purpose

Lymph node metastasis is one of the most important prognostic factors for patients with papillary thyroid cancer. In this study we compared the diagnostic accuracy of neck CT with that of 18F-FDG PET-CT for the preoperative evaluation of lymph node metastasis.

Methods

We reviewed the medical records of 56 patients who received surgery for papillary thyroid cancer at the Department of Surgery, Konkuk University Medical Center, from August, 2006 to January, 2009. All the patients were checked with neck CT and 18F-FDG PET-CT preoperatively for evaluating their lymph node status.

Results

Neck CT showed a sensitivity of 40%, a specificity of 74.2%, a positive predictive value of 55.6%, a negative predictive value of 60.5% and an accuracy of 58.9%. 18F-FDG PET-CT showed a sensitivity of 48%, a specificity of 80.6%, a positive predictive value of 66.7%, a negative predictive value of 65.8% and an accuracy of 66.1%. 18FFDG PET-CT had greater sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy than did neck CT (P=0.02) for predicting lymph node metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid cancer.

Conclusion

18F-FDG PET-CT can be more dependable than neck CT for preoperatively assessing lymph node metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid cancer.

TOOLS
Similar articles