Keywords:
Oncology, Hybrid Imaging, Paediatric, PET-MR, MR, CT, Staging, Neoplasia, Metastases
Authors:
G. Orsatti1, A. Varotto1, F. Crimì1, P. Zucchetta1, M. Weber2, D. Cecchin1, R. Stramare1, C. Giraudo1; 1Padova/IT, 2Vienna/AT
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2018/C-1129
Aims and objectives
Sarcomas are heterogeneous tumor accounting for nearly 20% of all pediatric solid malignancies.
The vast majority are soft tissue sarcomas,
while malignant bone neoplasms account for around 10% [1].
The diagnostic and therapeutic management of pediatric sarcomas is complex and requires a multidisciplinary approach.
MRI is considered the main imaging technique for primary tumor assessment and for local recurrences detection while systemic staging is mostly based on Computed Tomography (CT) and Positron Emission Tomography/CT (PET/CT) [2].
Combining the benefits of morphological and high soft tissue contrast imaging of MR and the metabolic information of PET,
integrated PET/MRI is an innovative and highly promising diagnostic tool in oncological imaging.
Several studies have already shown very good results about the application of 18F-FDG PET/MRI,
with and without DWI,
for lymphoma,
pulmonary neoplasms,
rectal cancer,
breast neoplasms and for sarcomas in adults.
[3-7]
Despite the intrinsic advantage of a low radiation dose than other whole-body techniques (e.g.,
PET/CT) and the excellent results already obtained in pediatric oncologic imaging [8],
to the best of our knowledge,
the role of PET/MRI for pediatric sarcomas was not assessed yet.
Therefore,
our aim was to investigate the diagnostic performance of 18F-FDG PET/MRI,
including DWI,
for pediatric sarcomas at staging and restaging.