Impact of positron emission tomography on strategy in liver resection for primary and secondary liver tumors.

Outcome of patients with metastatic disease mainly depends on accurate preoperative tumor staging. 18[F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-PET) has been proven to be a valuable diagnostic tool in a number of different tumors but its direct influence on liver surgery has not been thoroughly investigated. Between July 1999 and March 2000, 50 consecutive patients with 174 suspected liver lesions were admitted to the University Hospital Jena. All 50 patients underwent abdominal ultrasound, CT-scan, and 18-FDG positron emission tomography scanning. In 23 patients the diagnostic work-up was completed by MRI scan. Altogether there were a total of 174 histologically proven intrahe…