The value of Flouorine 18-Fluorodeoxy glucose positron emission tomography computed tomography in staging of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Background Head and neck malignancies, collectively referred to as such, typically start in the squamous cells that coat the mucosal surfaces of the head and neck. Fluorine 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET/CT) is effective for diagnosing and initially staging of many cancers. When looking for head and neck cancer, combined PET/CT is superior to MRI or computed tomography (CT) alone because it is more sensitive and specific. Aims The objective of this research was to evaluate the significance of PET/CT in the primary staging of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Patients and methods This study involved 30 patients diagnosed with HNSCC who had a PET-CT scan performed to identify and stage their tumors. Results This study revealed that the most frequent primary location for HNSCC was nasopharynx, and the least common primary location was maxillary sinus. Bone metastasis was present in three patients. Gastric metastasis was present in one patient. Lung nodule was present in one patient. The most common site of distant metastasis was bone metastasis in three patients. 18F-FDG PET/CT can detect all lymph nodes (LNs) cancer (submental LN, posterior triangle LN, spinal accessory LN, superior mediastinal LN, retropharyngeal LN, and lung nodule LN) and bone metastasis. Conclusions The 18F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated proficient detection capabilities for primary site of HNSCC, loco-regional LNs and metastasis to distant sites.