18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Postsurgical Setting in Head and Neck Cancers - A Pictorial Essay

Archi Agrawal; Anjali Prakash; Sayak Choudhury; M V Manikandan; Yash Jain; Nilendu Purandare; Ameya Puranik; Sneha Shah; Venkatesh Rangarajan

doi:10.4103/ijnm.ijnm_204_20

^18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Postsurgical Setting in Head and Neck Cancers - A Pictorial Essay

Indian J Nucl Med. 2021 Apr-Jun;36(2):195-200. doi: 10.4103/ijnm.ijnm_204_20. Epub 2021 Jun 21.

Authors

Archi Agrawal¹, Anjali Prakash¹, Sayak Choudhury¹, M V Manikandan¹, Yash Jain¹, Nilendu Purandare¹, Ameya Puranik¹, Sneha Shah¹, Venkatesh Rangarajan¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

Abstract

This pictorial essay depicts normal appearances, complications, and findings of residual and/or recurrent disease on fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F- FDG PET/CT) studies in the postsurgical setting. Reading and reporting 18F- FDG PET/CT in the postoperative scenario is demanding due to the multiple false positives seen during this period. This article which contains two parts will familiarize the readers with the normal appearance and pitfalls seen in 18F- FDG PET/CT studies during the postoperative period so as to avoid misinterpretations. This pictorial will discuss 18F- FDG PET/CT in the postoperative scenario in head and neck cancers.

Keywords: Contrast-enhanced; false-positives; fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography; pitfalls; postoperative; postsurgical; recurrence.