Added Value of FDG PET/MRI in Gynecologic Oncology: A Pictorial Review

Ziad Tarcha, Katerina S. Konstantinoff, Semra Ince, Tyler J. Fraum, Elizabeth A. Sadowski, Priya R. Bhosale, Paul Robert Derenoncourt, Maria Zulfiqar, Anup S. Shetty, Maria R. Ponisio, Joyce C. Mhlanga, Malak Itani

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Fluorine 18–fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET and MRI independently play a valu-able role in the management of patients with gynecologic malignancies, particularly endometrial and cervical cancer. The PET/MRI hybrid imaging technique combines the metabolic information obtained from PET with the excellent soft-tissue resolution and anatomic de-tails provided by MRI in a single exam-ination. MRI is the modality of choice for assessment of local tumor extent in the pelvis, whereas PET is used to assess for local-regional spread and distant metasta-ses. The authors discuss the added value of FDG PET/MRI in imaging gynecologic malignancies of the pelvis, with a focus on the role of FDG PET/MRI in diagno-sis, staging, assessing treatment response, and characterizing complications. PET/ MRI allows better localization and de-marcation of the extent of disease, characterization of lesions and involvement of adjacent organs and lymph nodes, and improved differentiation of benign from malignant tissues, as well as detection of the presence of distant metastasis. It also has the advantages of decreased radiation dose and a higher signal-to-noise ratio of a prolonged PET examination of the pelvis contemporaneous with MRI. The authors provide a brief technical overview of PET/MRI, highlight how simultaneously performed PET/MRI can improve stand-alone MRI and PET/CT in gynecologic malignancies, provide an image-rich review to illustrate practical and clinically relevant applications of this imaging technique, and review common pitfalls encountered in clinical practice.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere230006
JournalRadiographics
Volume43
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2023

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