Hounsfield units from unenhanced 18F-FDG-PET/CT are useful in evaluating supradiaphragmatic lymph nodes in children and adolescents with classical Hodgkin's lymphoma.

BACKGROUND

The precise identification of the primarily-affected nodal regions in Hodgkin's lymphoma(HL) is essential in determining the stage of the disease and the intensity of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to use the degree of X-ray attenuation (XRA) in Hounsfield units(HU) and the lymph node-to-muscle attenuation ratio (LN/M) in computed tomography (CT) unenhancedimaging, routinely performed with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET),to distinguish HL-affected supradiaphragmatic lymph nodes.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included 52 patients with classical HL treated according to the EuroNet-PHL-C1 protocol. Patients received 2 chemotherapy cycles after 18F-FDG-PET/CT testing, followedby re-examination. The lymph nodes were evaluated according to the Society for Pediatric Oncology andHematology's GPOH-HD-2002 study and Lugano criteria as not-involved (NI-LN) and involved (I-LN).

RESULTS

A significant difference (p < 0.001) was found in the XRA and LN/M values between NI-LN andI-LN before treatment and after the 2 chemotherapy cycles. The optimal cut-off point for XRA (44.7 HU) andLN/M (0.79) values distinguishing I-LN from NI-LN nodes was determined by receiver operating characteristic(ROC) analysis. After 2 cycles of chemotherapy, higher XRA (p = 0.002) and LN/M (p = 0.001) values in thegroup with inadequate early CTx response were found.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of XRA in HU and LN/M, together with the existing standard, can improve the qualificationof supradiaphragmatic lymph nodes in HL.