Is there a role for positron emission tomography scanning in HIV-positive patients with Kaposi's sarcoma and lymphadenopathy: two case reports

Kulasegaram, R MRCP
Saunders, K FRACP
Bradbeer, C S FRCP
O'Doherty, M MD FRCP

¹Department of Cenitourinary Medicine, St Thomas' Hospital, London and ²Department of Nuclear Medicine/Clinical PET Centre, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK

Correspondence to: Dr R Kulasegaram, Department of Genitourinary Medicine, 1st floor, Lambeth Wing, St Thomas' Hospital, Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7EH, UK

Accepted 28 May 1997

International Journal of STD & AIDS 8(11):p 709-712, November 1997.

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a relatively new imaging technique. It utilizes radionuclides that decay by positron emission. Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is a glucose analogue transported into cells via the glucose channels and after phosphorylation is not further metabolized and remains within a cell. It is well established that the glycolytic rate of glucose uptake is increased in malignant lesions. Deoxyglucose is a glucose analogue whose uptake is increased in malignant tumours and the degree of uptake has been correlated with tumour grade.

Lymphadenopathy is a relatively common finding among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients with or without Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and can be reactive, infective or neoplastic in origin.

We present 2 HIV-positive patients with KS and lymphadenopathy in whom PET scan was found to be useful in establishing the diagnosis.