Comparative Evaluation of Lymph Node SUV max Values and Density Measurements in the Differentiation of Patients with Lung CA and Covid-19 Pneumonia showing Mediastinal Lymph Node involvement
Tülin Ozturk11Department of Radiology, Medical Park Hospital, Elazığ, Turkey
Objectives: The differentiation between infectious and tumoral lymph node (LN) causes diagnostic difficulties in lung cancer (CA) patients concurrent with Covid-19 pneumonia. In our study, we evaluated the contribution of CT density and PET/CT SUV max measurements to the diagnosis in the differentiation of mediastinal LNs. Methods: In our retrospective study, 20 lung CA and 20 Covid-19 patients with mediastinal lymph node involvement with PET CT were included. Results: The mean LN density value of the participants in the Covid-19 group was 51±1.45 Hounsfield units (HU), and the mean SUV max value was 4.43±0.47. Of the participants in the lung CA group, on the other hand, the mean density value was 38±8.08 HU, and the mean SUV max value was 8.97±3.07. The difference between the density and SUV max values showed a statistically significant difference. Conclusion: We found that density and SUV max values can make a significant contribution to the differential diagnosis in the differentiation between mediastinal LNs of Covid-19 and lung cancer. Early characterization of lymph nodes in this patient group provides a high prognostic chance. Keywords: Lymph node, density, SUV max
Cite This Article
Ozturk T. Comparative Evaluation of Lymph Node SUV max Values and Density Measurements in the Differentiation of Patients with Lung CA and Covid-19 Pneumonia showing Mediastinal Lymph Node involvement. EJMI. 2022; 6(4): 491-496
Corresponding Author: Tülin Ozturk