PULMONARY INVESTIGATIONS-PET OR CT

SUMMARY

1. Useful in differentiating benign from malignant, infectious or inflammatory lesions & suspicious lymph nodes for biopsy.

2. The PET is paired with a CT to localize FDG activity by metabolically active cells.

3. Note that PET cannot distinguish between these but the intensity of FDG-uptake can guide diagnosis.

4. Most useful for nodules > 1-2 cm, but the lower limit of resolution is ~ 8 mm.

Reference(s)

Wilkinson, I., Furmedge, D. and Sinharay, R. (2017). Oxford handbook of clinical medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Get it on Amazon.
Feather, A., Randall, D. and Waterhouse, M. (2020). Kumar And Clark’s Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. S.L.: Elsevier Health Sciences. Get it on Amazon.
Hannaman, R. A., Bullock, L., Hatchell, C. A., & Yoffe, M. (2016). Internal medicine review core curriculum, 2017-2018. CO Springs, CO: MedStudy.
Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. https://www.tg.org.au [Accessed 2021].