Clinical significance of small pulmonary nodules with little or no 18F-FDG uptake on PET/CT images of patients with nonthoracic malignancies.

Abstract

For patients with incidental lung nodules of indeterminate nature with no (18)F-FDG uptake or uptake less than that of the mediastinum on PET/CT images, >19% of the cases turned out to be malignant. The nodule was more likely to be malignant when no other benign pulmonary lesions could be identified elsewhere in the lung field. Thus, regardless of the number of nodules and (18)F-FDG uptake, tissue confirmation or close imaging follow-up is necessary when small nodules with imperceptible or faint (18)F-FDG activity are present on the PET/CT images, especially in the absence of accompanying benign lung lesions.