The radiological features of adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma

Characterization of T-cell lymphomas by FDG PET/CT

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this article is to describe the utility of FDG PET/CT in documenting sites of disease in patients with T-cell lymphomas, to quantify the degree of FDG avidity in the various subtypes of this heterogeneous group of disorders, and to highlight the pattern of imaging findings associated with specific disease subtypes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective review of patients with T-cell lymphomas who underwent PET/CT examination for initial disease staging or at disease relapse over a 5-year period was undertaken by correlation between a patient database and a PACS radiology information system. Disease subtypes were grouped according to World Health Organization categorization of mature natural killer cell-T-cell neoplasms. Sites of disease involvement were documented according to cutaneous or extranodal, nodal, and visceral locations. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUV) was recorded for each patient.

RESULTS

One hundred thirty-five patients with T-cell lymphoma were included, and sites of disease were documented by use of FDG PET/CT in 122 (90%) patients. Of those 122 patients, 55 (45%) had cutaneous involvement, 95 (78%) had FDG-avid lymphadenopathy, and 54 (44%) had FDG-avid extranodal disease other than cutaneous involvement. A significant difference in maximum SUV was observed in cases of mycosis fungoides and mycosis fungoides with large cell transformation (SUV, 11.3 vs 3.8; p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

We found high rates of FDG positivity in T-cell lymphoma. Given the propensity for disease involvement outside the normal scan range of diagnostic CT, we recommend that patients with T-cell lymphoma be scanned from vertex to feet by use of PET/CT.

Thoracic CT findings of adult T-cell leukemia or lymphoma

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess pulmonary CT findings in patients with adult T-cell leukemia or lymphoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed CT scans of the lung in 87 patients with adult T-cell leukemia or lymphoma who had undergone chest CT between January 1996 and March 2002 at two institutions. The CT scans were interpreted by two chest radiologists working in consensus. Parenchymal abnormalities (ground-glass attenuation, consolidation, nodules, thickening of bronchovascular bundles, interlobular septal thickening, honeycombing, crazy-paving appearance, and bronchiectasis) were evaluated, as were enlarged lymph nodes, pleural effusion, and pleural thickening. In 46 patients who underwent surgical biopsy or autopsy, CT-pathologic correlation was performed with the actual specimens by a pathologist and two chest radiologists.

RESULTS

On the CT scans, abnormal findings were seen in 60 patients (69.0%). CT findings consisted of ground-glass attenuation (n = 37), centrilobular nodules (n = 25), thickening of bronchovascular bundles (n = 22), and consolidation (n = 13). These abnormalities were predominantly seen in the peripheral lung parenchyma (n = 26). Pathologically, these findings corresponded with atypical lymphocyte infiltration along the interstitium and the alveolar spaces. Pleural effusion and enlarged lymph nodes were found in 22 and 27 patients, respectively.

CONCLUSION

CT findings in patients with adult T-cell leukemia or lymphoma consisted mainly of ground-glass attenuation, centrilobular nodules, and thickening of the bronchovascular bundles in the peripheral lung. These findings, although nonspecific, are considered suggestive of thoracic involvement in patients with adult T-cell leukemia or lymphoma.

Numerous sites of increased uptake shown on bone scintigraphy in a case of adult T-cell leukemia

Bone scintigraphy was performed in a 69-year-old male patient with adult T-cell leukemia suffering from right lower limb pain. Numerous sites of increased uptake were seen in the skull, left clavicle, bilateral humeri, bilateral radii and right femur and tibia. Bone radiographs showed multiple osteolytic lesions, most of which corresponded to the abnormal deposits on the bone scans with 740 MBq of 99mTc-hydroxymethylene diphosphonate. This pattern is rarely reported, but bone involvement of adult T-cell leukemia is not uncommon. Bone involvement was remarkable on the appendicular skeleton when compared with common metastatic bone tumors. Bone scintigraphy may be useful in detecting bone involvement in adult T-cell leukemia.