
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions β written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Incidentaloma other imaging findings
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Findings on a Positron Emission Tomography (PET-CT) scan suggestive of diagnostic of incidentaloma. Cancer cells have an increased requirement for glucose and take up more glucose and deoxyglucose than normal cells. Standard uptake value (SUV) values have been utilized to differentiate between benign and malignant adrenal lesions. It may be helpful in the diagnosis of incidentaloma in selected patients; those with a history of malignancy or those in which CT densitometry or washout analysis is inconclusive or suspicious for malignancy because of their high sensitivity for detecting malignancy.
Other Imaging Findings
Other Imaging Findings
- FDG–PET is a nuclear medicine modality that provides quantitative tomographic images after intravenous injection of a beta-radiation-emitting radiotracer (18-Fluorine) used to label 2-deoxy-d-glucose rendering fluoro-deoxyglucose (FDG).[1]
- Glucose and deoxyglucose enter cells via cell glucose transporters and undergo phosphorylation. When glucose undergoes further enzymatic breakdown, deoxyglucose is trapped in the intra-cellular compartments.
- Cancer cells have an increased requirement for glucose and take up more glucose and deoxyglucose than normal cells.[2]
- SUV values have been utilized to differentiate between benign and malignant adrenal lesions.
- It may be helpful in the diagnosis of incidentaloma in selected patients; those with a history of malignancy or those in which CT densitometry or washout analysis is inconclusive or suspicious for malignancy because of their high sensitivity for detecting malignancy.[3]
- 18F-FDG is not a specific marker for cancer cells but a marker only for increased glucose metabolism so the uptake can also be increased in cells with an increased energy requirement due to conditions other than cancer.[4]

References
References
- β Groussin L, Bonardel G, SilvΓ©ra S, Tissier F, Coste J, Abiven G; et al. (2009). “18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography for the diagnosis of adrenocortical tumors: a prospective study in 77 operated patients”. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 94 (5): 1713β22. doi:10.1210/jc.2008-2302. PMIDΒ 19190108.
- β Becherer A, Vierhapper H, PΓΆtzi C, Karanikas G, Kurtaran A, Schmaljohann J; et al. (2001). “FDG-PET in adrenocortical carcinoma”. Cancer Biother Radiopharm. 16 (4): 289β95. doi:10.1089/108497801753131363. PMIDΒ 11602999.
- β Young WF (2007). “Clinical practice. The incidentally discovered adrenal mass”. N Engl J Med. 356 (6): 601β10. doi:10.1056/NEJMcp065470. PMIDΒ 17287480.
- β Terzolo M, Stigliano A, Chiodini I, Loli P, Furlani L, Arnaldi G; et al. (2011). “AME position statement on adrenal incidentaloma”. Eur J Endocrinol. 164 (6): 851β70. doi:10.1530/EJE-10-1147. PMIDΒ 21471169.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Mohammed Abdelwahed M.D[2]
