Clinical significance of post-treatment (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in cervical lymph nodes in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the clinical significance of FDG uptake in cervical lymph nodes after treatment of patients with DLBCL. METHODS: In total, 87 patients with DLBCL were enrolled. All patients had newly appeared FDG uptake in cervical lymph nodes on PET/CT during follow-up after cessation of therapy. Cervical lymph nodes were finally diagnosed as benign or malignant according to histopathological findings or follow-up PET. Clinical characteristics and PET findings were compared between groups and factors associated with malignant lesions were evaluated. RESULTS: Only 8 (9.2 %) patients with cervical lymph nodes with FDG uptake ultimately had malignancy. FDG uptake lymph nodes appeared significantly earlier in the malignant group than in patients with benign FDG uptake (p = 0.013). Primary nodal lymphoma was more frequent in patients with cancer spread than in those with benign FDG uptake in lymph nodes (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Most cervical lymph nodes with FDG uptake (about 91 %) appearing after treatment of malignant DLBCL were ultimately benign. The elapsed time between the end of therapy and the appearance of cervical lymph nodes with FDG uptake and the primary sites of lymphomas are helpful clues in determining which cases are malignant. KEY POINTS: * About 91 % appearing after treatment of DLBCL were benign. * Elapsed time between therapy and FDG uptake was associated with malignancy. * Primary sites of lymphoma are helpful clues to determine malignancy.