After fasting for at least 4 h, all patients underwent a FDG-PET/CT scan, executed by a GE Discovery STE Whole Body PET/CT scanner (GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, WI, USA) or similar. CT images were acquired at 120 kV and 80 mA, pitch 1.75, 0.8 s per tube rotation, and slice thickness of 3.75 mm. During the CT examination, 80–120 mL of a contrast agent (Ultravist 300, Schering AG, Berlin, Germany) was intravenously administered to ensure fully diagnostic CT data (if there was no contraindication). The PET scan was performed 60–75 min after an 18F-FDG intravenous injection of 7–10 mCi (depending on the individual’s weight). The contrast-enhanced CT was used also for attenuation correction of the PET data. The PET scan was performed from the base of the skull to the mid-thigh, 1.5–2 min per bed position, resulting in a total scan time of approximately 15–20 min.
For the purpose of the current study, a board-certified nuclear medicine physician (HB) with 15 years of experience independently reviewed all FDG-PET/CT scans from both centers, confirmed the results, and measured the lesion’s size, volume, and standard uptake volume (SUV).
For the purpose of the current study, a board-certified nuclear medicine physician (HB) with 15 years of experience independently reviewed all FDG-PET/CT scans from both centers, confirmed the results, and measured the lesion’s size, volume, and standard uptake volume (SUV).