The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of (18)F-FDG PET/CT bronchoscopy for the detection of regional lymph node metastases in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients; potential differences in the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), mean SUV (SUVmean), short-axis diameter, and distance to the airways when comparing true-positive (TP), false-positive (FP), true-negative (TN), and false-negative (FN) lymph nodes; the smallest bronchus diameter accessible by virtual bronchoscopy; and the duration from the start of the virtual (18)F-FDG PET/CT bronchoscopy viewing tool until the images were displayed.
Methods: Sixty-one consecutive NSCLC patients (mean age ± SD, 58 ± 10 y) underwent whole-body (18)F-FDG PET/CT. From these data, virtual (18)F-FDG PET/CT bronchoscopies were reconstructed. The duration from the start of the tool until the display of virtual bronchoscopy images was determined. The diagnostic accuracy of (18)F-FDG PET/CT bronchoscopy for the detection of regional lymph node metastases was evaluated on a lesion basis. Axial (18)F-FDG PET/CT scans served as the standard of reference. The SUVmax, SUVmean, short-axis diameter, and distance to the airways of regional lymph nodes were measured. Lymph nodes were classified as TP, FP, TN, and FN. The smallest bronchus diameter accessible by (18)F-FDG PET/CT bronchoscopy was measured.
Results: The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of virtual (18)F-FDG PET/CT bronchoscopy for the detection of lymph node metastases were 76%, 87%, 85%, 79%, and 81%, respectively. The differences between the SUVmax, SUVmean, short-axis diameter, and distance to the airways of TP and FP as well as TN and FN lymph nodes were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The mean smallest diameter of accessible bronchi by (18)F-FDG PET/CT bronchoscopy was 3 mm. The mean time duration from the start of the virtual (18)F-FDG PET/CT bronchoscopy tool until the display of the images was 22 ± 7 s.
Conclusion: Virtual fly-through 3-dimensional (18)F-FDG PET/CT bronchoscopy yields a high diagnostic accuracy for the detection of regional lymph node metastases and has access to bronchi even in the periphery of the lung. High SUVmax, high SUVmean, large small-axis diameter, and short distance to the airways aid detection of lymph node metastases with (18)F-FDG PET/CT bronchoscopy.