Virtual ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT bronchoscopy for lymph node staging in non-small-cell lung cancer patients: present and future applications

Abstract

Virtual ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/computed tomography (CT) bronchoscopies provide virtually realistic, 3D endoscopic views of the airways combining anatomical and functional data at a high resolution. Today, even very small airways can be imaged by virtual bronchoscopy. ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT bronchoscopy images are generated from standard whole-body ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT scan source data without any additional radiation exposure. The purpose of this review was to give an overview over the studies that are currently available, to provide the technical background of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT bronchoscopy and to explain the diagnostic accuracy of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT bronchoscopy. Moreover, this manuscript highlights potential future applications of this promising new imaging technique.

Keywords::

• ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT
• bronchial carcinoma
• lung cancer
• non-small-cell lung cancer
• virtual bronchoscopy

Financial & competing interests disclosure

J Treffert is an employee of Siemens Health Care, Molecular Imaging, Knoxville, TN, USA. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.