FDG PET/CT features of ovarian metastasis

Aim: To assess the characteristics of [¹⁸F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d- glucose (FDG) uptake in cases of ovarian metastasis using positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). Materials and methods: Twelve patients with 16 ovarian metastases arising from colon cancer (n = 6), breast cancer (n = 4), gastric cancer (n = 3), and pancreatic cancer (n = 3) who underwent FDG-PET/CT examination were included in this study. The effect of lesion size and morphological pattern (predominantly solid or cystic) on FDG uptake was evaluated using the quantitative standardized uptake value (SUV). Results: The mean maximum SUV for the 16 lesions was 4.6 ± 2.4 (range 1.8 ∼ 9.9). The Pearson correlation coefficient test showed no significant correlation between maximum SUV and lesion size (r = 0.21, p = 0.42). The maximum SUV of solid (n = 5) and cystic (n = 11) lesions was 5.5 ± 2.7 and 4.3 ± 2.2, respectively, and the difference was not significant (p = 0.43). Breast cancer showed the highest maximum SUV (6.4 ± 3.6), followed by colon cancer (5.3 ± 1.4), gastric cancer (3.3 ± 0.5), and pancreatic cancer (2.2 ± 0.6). Conclusion: Ovarian metastases show a variable maximum SUV with mild to intense FDG uptake.