Utility of 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose emission tomography/computed tomography fusion imaging (18F-FDG PET/CT) in combination with ultrasonography for axillary staging in primary breast cancer

Table 5 Categories of ¹⁸ F-FDG PET/CT combined with ultrasonography for indications of ALND/PSC

Category	1	2	3	4
AUS	-	-	+	+
¹⁸F-FDG-uptake	-	+	-	+
No. of involved ALNs
0	117 (85)	6 (50)	1 (20)	0 (0)
1	12 (9)	5 (42)	2 (40)	9 (32)
2 ≦ Involved ALNs ≦ 5	6 (4)	1 (8)	1 (20)	9 (32)
6 ≦	3 (2)	0 (0)	1 (20)	10 (36)
The maximum size of involved ALNs
≦ 5 mm	10(48)	5 (83)	0 (0)	0 (0)
5 mm < metastasis < 10 mm	7(33)	1 (17)	2 (50)	6 (21)
10 mm ≦	4(19)	0 (0)	2 (50)	22(79)
Nuclear grade of involved ALNs
Grade 1 and 2	16(76)	3 (50)	4 (100)	13(46)
Grade 3	5(24)	3 (50)	0 (0)	15(54)
Frequency of involved ALNs	15%	50%	80%	100%
Indications of ALND/PSC	SNB	FNAC/Bx is needed	FNAC/Bx is needed	Acceptable
Total	138 (100)	12 (100)	5 (100)	28 (100)

AUS, Axillary ultrasound; ALN, Axillary lymph node; ALND, ALN dissection; PSC, Primary systemic chemotherapy; No., Number; pts, patients; FNAC, Fine needle aspiration

ISSN: 1471-2407