[Predictive value of positron emission tomography with 18F-FDG in the diagnosis and staging of patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma].

Eighty nine patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) underwent conventional staging methods including computer tomography (CT) as well as positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-FDG. All lesions in PET with 18F-FDG and CT were correlated to each other. Identical results of PET and CT in identifying pathological focuses were obtained in 220 anatomical regions. Discordant results of PET and CT were determined in 59 anatomical areas. In 27 cases data of both methods were equivocal and could be regarded as normal or pathological. Analysis of the results showed the sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of PET were higher than the diagnostic efficacy of CT in the detection of pathological lymph nodes, extranodal organs as well as in localization of disease above and below diaphragm. The sensitivity of CT was lower in the detection of pathological lymph node and extranodal organs below the diaphragm--68.5%. In accordance with the results of PET the stage of disease and treatment tactics were changed 11.2% patients.