Fengchun Hua

The effects of thyroid hormones on brown adipose tissue in humans: a PET-CT study

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is important for energy expenditure through thermogenesis, although its regulatory factors are not well known in humans. There is evidence suggesting that thyroid hormones affect BAT functions in some mammals, but the effects of thyroid hormones on BAT activity in humans are still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of thyroid hormones on glucose metabolism of BAT and other organs in humans.

MRI and FDG PET/CT Findings of Primary Orbit Leiomyosarcoma.

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the orbit is extremely rare. Here we report the case of a 32-year-old woman who presented with proptosis and diplopia of the left eye. MRI examination showed a solid mass in the left orbit with invasion to adjacent tissue, and the lesion had intense FDG uptake with SUVmax of 18.7 on F-FDG PET/CT. Primary orbit leiomyosarcoma was diagnosed by surgery-pathology. F-FDG PET/CT has an advantage in excluding secondary or metastatic orbit malignancy.

AFP-producing hepatoid adenocarcinoma of appendix: a case report of 18F-FDG PET/CT

Hepatoid adenocarcinoma (HAC) is a rare tumor. We described here a rare case of appendix HAC. A 59-year-old man underwent F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for gradually elevated alpha-Fetoprotein level. Multiple masses in the abdominal cavity with moderate FDG uptake were revealed, suggesting malignant tumor with peritoneal metastasis. The patient underwent radical resection, and the postoperative pathological result was HAC originated from the appendix. To our knowledge, it is the first report of HAC of the appendix. Our study suggests that FDG PET/CT may help in detecting the primary tumor and the metastases of HAC.

F-18 FDG PET/CT in granulomatous slack skin.

Granulomatous slack skin (GSS), a subtype of mycosis fungoides, is an extremely rare disease in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Only 1 reported case was documented in the nuclear medicine literature demonstrating this entity with gallium-67. A 16-year-old boy with GSS exhibited moderate F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in corresponding areas of cutaneous disease on positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan. F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography may be a valuable tool for staging and evaluating the therapeutic response in a patient with GSS.

Prognostic value of 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake as measured by PET scan in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) uptake determined by positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in relation to disease stage and/or tumor histology. A retrospective review of 144 patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer undergoing PET imaging was performed. Differences in survival were compared by univariate and multivariate analyses. Univariate analysis identified three prognostic factors: stage, lesion size and the standardized 18F-FDG uptake value. The latter was a better prognostic predictor in lung cancer patients with early-stage disease than in those at advanced stages. Multivariate analysis revealed that the most important prognostic factors were tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage and the standardized 18F-FDG uptake value. Patients with standardized uptake values (SUVs) >8 had a 2.5 times higher mortality rate than those with values ≤8. A one-unit increase in SUV corresponded with a 7% increase in the hazard of death. SUVs provided stronger prognostic stratification in patients with adenocarcinoma than in those with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Furthermore, the best choice of prognostic predictor differed between the two types of lung cancer: the SUV was best for SCC, while TNM stage was most significant for adenocarcinoma. In conclusion, 18F-FDG uptake in primary lung lesions is an independent prognostic predictor in patients with NSCLC, especially those with adenocarcinoma or early-stage disease. Further stratification of patients with the same TNM stage based on SUVs may allow for the modification of individual treatment strategies, resulting in improved outcome.

Non-Hodgkinʼs Lymphoma of Supraclavicular Lymph Nodes Can Mimic Metastasis of Breast Cancer During Chemotherapy on FDG PET/CT

A 43-year-old woman who had a history of right mastectomy for breast cancer presented with fever and swelling in the right supraclavicular region during her second course of chemotherapy. An FDG PET/CT was performed to evaluate this patient, which revealed mildly increased FDG activity in the lymph node in the supraclavicular region. A metastatic lesion from the known breast cancer was considered. However, biopsy results demonstrated that the abnormal activity in the right supraclavicular region is due to T-cell lymphoma.

[ 18 F]-GE-179 positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for N -methyl- d -aspartate receptors: One-pot synthesis and preliminary micro-PET study in a rat model of MCAO

INTRODUCTION The objective of this study was to synthesize an N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) radiotracer [18F]-GE-179 in one-pot and evaluate its in vivo binding for NMDAR activation after brain ischemia reperfusion injury. METHODS [18F]-GE-179 was auto-synthesized using a quick one-pot method from a stable disulfide precursor and purified using semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ethanol/aqueous NaH2PO4 as the eluent. Dynamic micro-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) study of [18F]-GE-179 was successfully performed using a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO, induced by transient occlusion into the left MCA). A simplified reference tissue model method was used to calculate the [18F]-GE-179 non-displaceable binding potential (BPND) for intracranial NMDAR activation assessment. Immunofluorescence staining of NMDAR NR1 subunit in brain slices containing lesion was also performed. RESULTS [18F]-GE-179 was successfully prepared in a yield of 23-30% in a formulation that could be injected directly after dilution. Localized radioactivity accumulation was observed in the animal model of MCAO. Significantly higher (p = 0.0003-0.0404) BPND relative to equivalent contralateral was found in the ipsilateral caudate putamen, Acb core/shell, cortex cingulate, amygdala, hypothalamus, and superior colliculus. Immunofluorescence staining showed elevated NMDAR expression in the affected hemisphere. CONCLUSIONS [18F]-GE-179 was synthesized using a one-pot process with a markedly improved yield. Preliminary in vivo micro-PET study visualized excessive NMDAR stimulation successfully in a rodent model of MCAO, which was consistent with results of in vitro immunofluorescence staining. The study demonstrates that [18F]-GE-179 is a promising PET probe for the detection of functional NMDAR alterations.

Primary Uterine Cervical Lymphoma Manifesting as Menolipsis Staged and Followed Up by FDG PET/CT.

Primary uterine non-Hodgkins lymphoma of the cervix is rare. We report a 31-year-old woman presented with menolipsis for 8 weeks. Transvaginal ultrasonography and pelvic MRI detected a solid cervical mass invading the adjacent vaginal wall. The lesion showed obvious FDG uptake on PET/CT scan, and malignancy was considered. It proved to be primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the cervix by biopsy. After 6-cycle R-CHOP chemotherapy, no abnormal FDG uptake was found on another FDG PET/CT scan.

Value of the Texture Feature for Solitary Pulmonary Nodules and Mass Lesions Based on PET/CT

Abstract】Objective The aim of this study was to explore the clinical value of the combination of prior knowledge of physicians and texture features for differentiation of malignant from benign solitary pulmonary nodules(SPNs) and mass lesions based on 18F-FDG PET/CT.Methods 143 patients with known solitary pulmonary nodule or mass were enrolled in the study. All the patients underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT examination.Two physicians judged the benign and malignant lesions of lung and the skewness, Angular Second Moment(ASM) and coarseness of PET/CT fusion images were measured. All patients were verified by pathological results or follow-up imagings after treatments.Results 106 patients were found to have malignant tumors and 37 patients were found with benign lesions.The sensitivity of prior knowledge，texture feature and combination of the two methods for diagnosis of pulmonary lesions were 88.7％,84.9％and 96.2%,respectively. Conclusion The result implies that combined texture feature of PET/ CT images may has potential to discriminate benign and malignant lesions and make up for deficiencies in individual parameters,and that the combination of the two methods generates better discrimination results than using one modality alone and plays a positive role for discrimination between benign and malignant lesions at present situation.