Positron emission tomography/computed tomography in the diagnosis, staging, and prognostic evaluation of natural killer/T-cell lymphoma

Abstract

Natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTL) is a rare subtype of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that is associated with Epstein–Barr virus infection. The clinicopathological features of NKTL are unique among lymphomas. NKTL is an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis in the absence of effective treatment. Accurate diagnosis and staging are essential to ensure an appropriate treatment strategy and accurate prognosis of NKTL. 18F-Fluorodexoyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) is a valuable technique in the diagnosis, staging, and prognostic evaluation of various types of malignant tumors, including NKTL. PET/CT imaging studies of patients with NKTL have shown that NKTL is 18F-FDG-avid and that PET/CT is superior to conventional methods in detecting cutaneous and extracutaneous lesions. We herein review recent PET/CT studies that have provided considerable insight into the diagnosis, staging, prognostic evaluation, and treatment effectiveness in patients with NKTL.