TABLE V.
Histological Findings in 77 Patients with Incidental Focal FDG‐Avid Palatine Tonsils (IFT) on FDG‐PET/CT.
| Variable | N (%) |
|---|---|
| Head and neck cancer | 19 (25%) |
| Oral cavity cancer | 10 (13%) |
| IFT | 8 (10%) |
| Base of tongue cancer | 1 (1%) |
| Lung cancer | 12 (16%) |
| Urogenital cancer | 10 (13%) |
| Lymphoma | 4 (5%) |
| IFT | 3 (4%) |
| Outside of tonsils | 1 (1%) |
| Gastrointestinal cancer | 3 (4%) |
| Soft tissue/bone cancer a | 3 (4%) |
| Malignant melanoma | 2 (3%) |
| Prostate cancer | 2 (3%) |
| Hepatic/biliary cancer | 1 (1%) |
| Pleural cancer | 1 (1%) |
| Breast cancer | 1 (1%) |
| No malignancy | 28 (36%) |
Fifty‐eight Primary Cancers were found in 49 (64%) patients. Nine patients had synchronous cancers: In five patients, SCC in IFT was found synchronous to cancer(s) with other locations: base of tongue (contralateral to SCC in IFT, n = 1), floor of mouth (ipsilateral to SCC in IFT, n = 1), lung (n = 1), urogenital (n = 1), and both urogenital and breast (n = 1). One patient had synchronous bilateral SCC in IFT (scan indication: suspected lung cancer) and five patients with malignancy in IFT had no other primary cancer (scan indications: suspected lung cancer [n = 2], gastrointestinal cancer [n = 1], pleural cancer [n = 1], and follow‐up of benign disease [n = 1]).
Chondroblastic osteosarcoma of maxilla, malignant osteoclastoma, and type B2 thymoma.