Bone marrow FDG-PET/CT in Hodgkin lymphoma revisited : do imaging and pathology match?

To directly compare visual and quantitative F-18-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) to bone marrow biopsy (BMB) findings in the right posterior iliac crest in patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma. This retrospective study included 26 patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma in whom FDG-PET/CT was performed before BMB of the right posterior iliac crest. The right posterior iliac crest was assessed for bone marrow involvement, both visually and semi-quantitatively [using maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) measurements]. BMB of right the posterior iliac crest was used as reference standard. BMB of the right posterior iliac crest was positive in 5 (19.2 %) of 26 patients. There was full agreement between visual FDG-PET/CT and BMB findings in the right posterior iliac crest (i.e. no false-positive or false-negative FDG-PET/CT findings). Accordingly, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of visual FDG-PET/CT assessment for the detection of bone marrow involvement in the right posterior iliac crest were 100 % (5/5) (95 % CI 51.1-100 %), 100 % (21/21) (95 % CI 81.8-100 %), 100 % (5/5) (95 % CI 51.1-100 %), and 100 % (21/21) (95 % CI 81.8-100 %), respectively. SUVmax of BMB-positive cases (mean +/- A SD: 3.4 +/- A 0.85) was nearly significantly higher (P = 0.052) than that of BMB-negative cases (mean +/- A SD 2.7 +/- A 0.63). This histopathological correlation study confirms the very high diagnostic value of FDG-PET/CT in the detection of bone marrow involvement in newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma, and supports the substitution of BMB with FDG-PET/CT in this setting

Prognostic value of tumor necrosis at CT in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Objective To determine the prognostic value of tumor necrosis at computed tomography (CT) in newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Materials and methods This retrospective study included 51 patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL who had undergone both unenhanced and intravenous contrast-enhanced CT before R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunorubicin, oncovin and prednisolone) chemo-immunotherapy. Presence of tumor necrosis was visually and quantitatively assessed at CT. Associations between tumor necrosis status at CT and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) International Prognostic Index (IPI) factors were assessed. Cox regression analysis was used to determine the prognostic impact of NCCN-IPI scores and tumor necrosis status at CT. Results There were no correlations between tumor necrosis status at CT and the NCCN-IPI factors categorized age (ρ = -0.042, P = 0.765), categorized lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) ratio (ρ = 0.201, P = 0.156), extranodal disease in major organs (φ = -0.245, P = 0.083), Ann Arbor stage III/IV disease (φ = -0.208, P = 0.141), and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (φ = 0.015, P = 0.914). In the multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, only tumor necrosis status at CT was an independent predictive factor of progression-free survival (P = 0.003) and overall survival (P = 0.004). Conclusion The findings of this study indicate the prognostic potential of tumor necrosis at CT in newly diagnosed DLBCL