The role of 18F-FDG PET/CT for the diagnosis of infections in patients with hematological malignancies and persistent febrile neutropenia

We assessed the performance of PET/CT for diagnosis and management of infections in high-risk hematological cancer patients with persistent febrile neutropenia in a prospective study. 18F-FDG PET/CT with contrast-enhanced CT was performed on day 5–7 of persistent fever. Between 2008 and 2011, 91 PET/CT examinations were performed for different episodes in 79 patients, resulting in 117 diagnoses. The sensitivity of the PET/CT was 79.8% (71/89) compared to 51.7% (46/89) with chest/sinus CT alone. Specificities were 32.14% (9/28) vs. 42.85% (12/28), respectively. PET/CT resulted in a change from the pre-test diagnosis in 63/91 (69%) of episodes and in modification of patients’ management in 46/91 (55%). PET/CT was beneficial in diagnosing abdominal infections. PET/CT has a potential role in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with persistent febrile neutropenia.