OBJECTIVETo investigate the value of pretherapeuticF-FDG PET/CT in the focus detection, staging and prognosis evaluation of adult Burkitt's lymphoma(BL).

METHODSThe clinical data and detection results ofF-FDG PET/CT scan of 18 patients with BL before the treatment from December 2008 to February 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. The lesions distribution were observed, the maximal standard uptake value(SUV) ofF-FDG by lesions and the maximal diameter of lymph nodes were measured. One-way analysis of variance was used to analyze the SUV, and the Spearman correlation was used to analyze the relationship between SUVand the maximum diameter of lymph nodes. The prognostic factors were analyzed by using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.

RESULTS F-FDG PET/CT showed 100% positive detection rate for 18 adults with BL, lymph nodal lesions were found in all the patients, and the most common area was lymphonodi coeliaci (9/18, 50%), 8 cases showed extranodal soft tissue involvement, 6 cases showed gastrointestinal tract, bone marrow involvement was detected in 7 cases, out of which the mutiple-focal involvement was found in 4 cases. The median SUVof lymph nodes, extranodal soft tissue and bone marrow was 11.7 (range of 3.4 to 28.5), 9.85 (range of 6.7 to 21.9) and 11.8(range of 5.6 to 23.8), respectively, there were no significant differences among these 3 types of lesions (F=1.013, P=0.369). And the median SUVof all lesions was 16.5 (range of 8.8 to 28.5). The clinical staging of 2 patients (2/8, 11.1%) was changed byF-FDG PET/CT imaging. The univariate analysis revealed that only the IPI (international prognostic index) could be the prognostic factor (χ=6.602, P=0.010), but the prognosis was not different between the patients below and above the median SUVof all lesions and lymph node (all P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONBL in adult is an intenselyF-FDG-avid tumor, theF-FDG PET/CT is an effective imaging tool for the detection and staging of this disease. In our study, the prognostic value of pretherapeuticF-FDG PET/CT still is unclear, that is not recommended for the prognosis of the adult BL patients.