Role of FDG PET/CT in tumours of the small intestine

This article focuses on the indication for FOG PET/CT in case of tumours of the small intestine, neuro-endocrine tumours excluded. The adenocarcinomas, lymphomas and sarcomas (including stromal tumours or GIST) are studied. There is no specific recommendation for FDG PET/CT in adenocarcinomas, extremely rare in comparison with colorectal adenocarcinomas. However, the utility of FDG PET/CT has been reported in clinical cases for detection and staging, especially in patients with high risk of developing the disease (Crohn's disease being the most important risk factor). The primary lymphomas of the small gut are also very rare, corresponding in all cases to non-Hodgkin lymphomas, for which the role of FDG PET/CT is recognised in follicular lymphoma, large B-cell lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma. The stromal tumours correspond to the most frequent sarcomas. Stromal tumours in the small intestine are less frequent in the small intestine than in the stomach. The role of FDG PET/CT is well established in stromal tumours for the staging of the disease and for determining the efficacy of therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitor. FDG PET is especially effective to evaluate the response since the radiologic criteria are difficult to assess, based not on the decrease of size of the lesions but on the decrease of density and of contrast enhance. (C) 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.