THE SIGNIFICANCE OF QUANTITATIVE DATA FROM PET/CT IN THE COURSE OF SARCOIDOSIS AND THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH CLINICAL PARAMETERS

Objectives: To examine the potential correlation between the presence of a disease outside the chest and the likelihood of recurrence or need for therapy, as well as to assess the relationship between quantitative measurements obtained from 18F-FDG PET/CT scans and clinical and laboratory markers associated with sarcoidosis. Material and Methods: 18F-FDG PET/CT images of 78 patients diagnosed with sarcoidosis were retrospectively examined. The SUV max value of the lesions with the highest uptake in the thoracic and extrathoracic regions of the disease was determined. Clinical and laboratory parameters, and SUV max values of the lesions were compared. The relationship between the detection of an extrathoracic disease and the need for treatment, and the development of recurrence was also investigated. Results: No significant correlation was found between patients with thoracic and extrathoracic disease regarding SUVmax and clinical and laboratory results (p>0.05). A significant correlation was detected between the SUVmax value of mediastinal lymph nodes and the presence of extrathoracic disease (p