Spectrum of 18F-FDG PET/CT Extranodal Findings in Lymphoma

Abstract

ymphoma comprises a histologically heterogeneous group of cancers derived from the cells of the immune system. Lymphoma incidence is increasing, enabling more extranodal forms to be seen in routine clinical practise. PET / CT is a multimodality technique capable of tracking extranodal lymphoma properly, detecting metabolically active lesions without structural or anatomical CT alteration and detecting viable tumorous tissue in the presence of normal looking lymph nodes. PET / CT has become the method of choice for detecting, staging and monitoring in patients with extranodal participation in Hodgkin disease and NHL. The probable involvement of extranodal sites should be regarded in interpreting PET / CT studies at any point during the course of the disease. Understanding of these findings will aid improve the disease staging and help distinguish the ordinary or physiological uptake of FDG from the pathological processes.