Lymph Node Metastasis of Squamous Cell Carcinoma from an Unknown Primary in the Upper and Middle Neck: Impact of 18 F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography
Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online June, 2011
Lymph Node Metastasis of Squamous Cell Carcinoma from an Unknown Primary in the Upper and Middle Neck: Impact of 18 F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography
The purpose of this study was to assess the potential of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) imaging for detection of the primary tumor and its impact on treatment planning in patients presenting with cancer of unknown primary and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)-positive cervical lymph nodes of the upper and middle neck.
Methods:
The study population consisted of 18 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven SCC involving lymph nodes of the upper and middle neck region and negative conventional diagnostic procedures with regard to the location of the primary. All patients underwent FDG-PET/CT according to a standard procedure in search for the primary, unidentified tumor.
Results:
In none of the patients FDG-PET/CT was able to indicate a primary tumor localization. Although FDG-PET/CT did identify all sites of known lymph node involvement, neither additional sites of lymph node involvement nor sites of distant metastases were identified. Accordingly, FDG-PET/CT did not impact patient treatment planning.
Conclusions:
In this series, including patients suffering from lymph node metastases by an SCC of unknown primary in the upper and middle neck, FDG-PET/CT was unable to identify a primary tumor. In addition, FDG-PET/CT did not modify the treatment planning in any of the patients studied.
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