Abstract

INTRODUCTION

This study was conducted to determine the predictive value of positron emission tomography (PET/CT) used in staging Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) at the time of diagnosis in determining bone marrow (BM) involvement.

METHODS

The patients diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in our hematology department between 2009-2019 were analyzed retrospectively. The study included a total of 46 patients who underwent both BM biopsy and PET / CT for staging at the time of diagnosis.

RESULTS

The mean age of the 46 patients was 40.0 years [19.0-80.0]. BM involvement was determined in 3 patients from BM biopsy and in 14 patients from PET / CT performed at the time of diagnosis. When PET / CT results were analyzed according to BM biopsy results, it was found that the sensitivity was 100% (3/3) and the specificity was 74.4% (32/43).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The sensitivity of PET / CT is very high in detecting BM involvement in HL patients, and is a non-invasive test. However, in doubtful cases it may be more appropriate to perform a BM biopsy, even though it is invasive, as PET/CT may cause false positive patient staging due to its low specificity.