The role of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography SUVMax in deciding on a computed tomography-guided lung biopsy in solid solitary pulmonary nodules.

Objective: The aim of this study was to calculate a useful cut-off point of the 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography SUVMax value to decide on a computed tomography-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy for solitary pulmonary nodules of sizes between 11 and 20 mm.

Methods: Between January 2015 and April 2020, patients with solitary pulmonary nodules who underwent computed tomography-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy were retrospectively reviewed, and those with solitary pulmonary nodules of 11-20 mm in diameter, who had undergone an 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography examination before computed tomography-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy, were included in the study. A total of 76 patients who met the inclusion criteria were evaluated.

Results: There was no distinguishing finding on the computed tomography examination (p>0.05). The SUVMax values of the malignant solid solitary pulmonary nodules were higher than the benign solitary pulmonary nodules (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The benign and malignant solid solitary pulmonary nodules between 11 and 20 mm have similar computed tomography features. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography is a useful imaging technique for distinguishing benign and malignant solitary pulmonary nodules. Notably, 4.85 SUVMax value can be used to decide on a computed tomography-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy procedure in solid solitary pulmonary nodules between 11 and 20 mm with excellent sensitivity and moderate specificity rates.