The study aimed to show that including the brain region into the standard 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([18F]FDG PET/CT) study protocol may result in detecting clinically silent brain tumours. We retrospectively analyzed the group of 10,378 from the total of 12,011 consecutive patients who underwent the torso and brain [18F]FDG PET/CT scanning, considering an ability of the method to evaluate undetected before brain tumours in patients diagnosed and treated in our institution. While collecting the database, we followed the inclusion criteria: at least 1-year of follow-up, a full medical history collected in our institution, histopathologic examination or other studies available to confirm the type of observed lesion, and the most importantly—no brain lesions reported in the patients’ medical data. In this study, performing the torso and brain [18F]FDG PET/CT imaging helped to detect clinically silent primary and metastatic brain tumours in 129 patients, and the benign lesions in 24 studied cases, in whom no suspicious brain findings were reported prior to the examination. In conclusion, including the brain region into the standard [18F]FDG PET/CT protocol can be considered helpful in detecting clinically silent malignant and benign brain tumours.

Celem niniejszej pracy jest wykazanie, że mimo nieswoistego charakteru radiofarmaceutyku 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glukozy (z ang. 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose, 18F-FDG), badanie pozytonowej tomografii emisyjnej/tomografii komputerowej (z ang. positron emission tomography/computed tomography, PET/CT) z użyciem 18F-FDG pozwala wykryć guzy pierwotne i przerzuty nowotworowe do mózgu, co może znacząco wpłynąć na protokół terapeutyczny i jakość życia chorego onkologicznie.

According to the international societies’ recommendations, the 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([18F]FDG PET/CT) technique should not be used as the method of choice in brain tumour diagnosis. Therefore, the brain region can be omitted during standard [18F]FDG PET/CT scanning. We performed comprehensive literature research and analysed results from 14,222 brain and torso [18F]FDG PET/CT studies collected in 2010–2020. We found 131 clinically silent primary and metastatic brain tumours and 24 benign lesions. We concluded that the brain and torso [18F]FDG PET/CT study provides valuable data that may support therapeutic management by detecting clinically silent primary and metastatic brain tumours.

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Rak krtani jest jednym z najczęściej wykrywanych nowotworów złośliwych regionu głowy i szyi. Z uwagi na wysoki stopień złośliwości oraz wczesne przerzuty odległe, rak krtani wymaga wczesnej i złożonej diagnostyki. Metodą z wyboru w ocenie guzów regionu głowy i szyi jest badanie pozytonowej tomografii emisyjnej/tomografii komputerowej z użyciem 18F-fluorodeoksyglukozy (18F-FDG PET/CT).