OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical value ofF-FDG PET/CT for patients with B cell lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic syndrome.

METHODSThe clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters andF-FDG PET/CT data of 23 newly diagnosed patients sufferred from B cell lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic syndrome were retrospectively analyzed. The correlation between PET and laboratory parameters were determined using Spearman correlation test. The prognostic factors were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS23 patients were all examined byF-FDG PET/CT before chemotherapy, theF-FDG uptake of spleen positively correlated with neutrophil count and hemoglobin content (r=0.588, P=0.035;r=0.699, P=0.008), respectively, and theF-FDG uptake of bone marrow positively correlated with neutrophil count only (r=0.691, P=0.009). Among all the clinical or laboratorial parameters andF-FDG PET/CT, only PET parameter was poor factor affecting prognosis of patients with B cell lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic syndrome. Out of 6 patients received PET/CT scans after 6 cycles of treatment, the 5 patients with negative PET/CT survived, and one patient with positive result died.

CONCLUSIONBaselineF-FDG PET/CT may provide prognostic information for the management of patients with B cell lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic syndrome, and the data ofF-FDG PET/CT before chemotherapy may predict the pregnosis of the patients with negative results, and the negative PET/CT results after chemotherapy betokens a better prognosis of patients.