Detection of occult bone metastases of lung cancer with fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography.

Accurate staging of cancer has a critical role in optimal patient management. Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) is superior to CT in the detection of local and distant metastases in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Although Tc-99 m methylene diphosphonate (MDP) bone scanning is well established in the evaluation of bone metastases, there are conflicting reports on the use of FDG PET in the evaluation of skeletal metastases. We report on a patient with locally advanced lung carcinoma in whom FDG PET accurately identified previously unsuspected widespread asymptomatic bone metastases (bone scan and X-rays negative, confirmed on MRI). Assessment of glucose metabolism with FDG PET might represent a more powerful tool to detect bone metastases in lung cancer compared with conventional bone scans.