AE Hepatic Lesions: Correlation Between Calcifications at CT and FDG-PET/CT Metabolic Activity

Overview

Journal Infection

Date 2019 Jun 6

PMID 31165442

Citations 11

Authors

Eleonore Brumpt

Oleg Blagosklonov

Paul Calame

Solange Bresson-Hadni

Dominique Angele Vuitton

Eric Delabrousse

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: To correlate the presence of calcifications in alveolar echinococcosis (AE) hepatic lesions to the metabolic activity in 18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT).

Methods: Our institutional review board approved this study. 61 patients (29 women, 32 men, aged from 15 to 86 years) were included in the study. Images of FDG-PET/CT were interpreted by two independent nuclear medicine physicians. AE hepatic lesions were classified as AE lesions with or without hypermetabolic activity. The presence of calcifications was assessed on unenhanced CT scans by two independent radiologists blinded with regard to the metabolic activity of the AE hepatic lesions. Every single calcification the size of which was < 3 mm and non-measurable calcifications which were forming areas with a powdery appearance were considered as microcalcifications. All other types of calcifications were reported as macrocalcifications. Statistical analysis was performed and p value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Results: Microcalcifications and macrocalcifications were present at CT in 95% (58/61) AE hepatic lesions and 43% (26/61) AE hepatic lesions, respectively. Hypermetabolic activity was present at FDG-PET/CT in 93% (57/61) AE hepatic lesions. 98% (56/57) of the AE hepatic lesions presenting with hypermetabolic activity at FDG-PET/CT showed microcalcifications at CT (p = 0.01) when only 40% (23/57) showed macrocalcifications at CT (p = 0.3). 100% (23/23) of the AE hepatic lesions with hypermetabolic activity at FDG-PET/CT and macrocalcifications at CT showed also microcalcifications at CT.

Conclusions: Hypermetabolic activity of AE hepatic lesions at FDG-PET/CT is strongly correlated to the presence of microcalcifications at CT, independently of the presence of macrocalcifications.

Citing Articles

Advances in Novel Diagnostic Techniques for Alveolar Echinococcosis.

Liu H, Xie Y, An X, Xu D, Cai S, Chu C Diagnostics (Basel). 2025; 15(5).

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CT-based radiomics models using intralesional and different perilesional signatures in predicting the microvascular density of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis.

Hou J, Zhang S, Li S, Zhao Z, Zhao L, Zhang T BMC Med Imaging. 2025; 25(1):84.

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Correlation between imaging features and rEm18 antibodies in alveolar echinococcosis: results from a multicenter study in France.

Simon G, Grenouillet F, Richou C, Delabrousse E, Blagoskonov O, Minello A Parasite. 2025; 32:8.

PMID: 39918234 PMC: 11804184. DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2024076.

Pictorial review of hepatic echinococcosis: Ultrasound imaging and differential diagnosis.

Tao Y, Wang Y, Wang J, Long S, Seyler B, Zhong X World J Gastroenterol. 2024; 30(37):4115-4131.

PMID: 39474399 PMC: 11514533. DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i37.4115.

Clinical value of the semi-quantitative parameters of F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT in the classification of hepatic echinococcosis in the Qinghai Tibetan area of China.

Shen Z, Wang Y, Chen X, Chou S, Wang G, Wang Y BMC Med Imaging. 2024; 24(1):194.

PMID: 39085759 PMC: 11289940. DOI: 10.1186/s12880-024-01371-9.

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