High metabolic characteristics of uterine fibroids in 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging and the underlying mechanisms

OBJECTIVE To investigate the high metabolic characteristics of uterine fibroids in fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) PET/computed tomographic imaging and the underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 47 patients with uterine fibroids who underwent PET/computed tomographic imaging and ultrasound examination from November 2011 to May 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. The characteristics of F-FDG uptake by uterine fibroids were analyzed and their correlations with age, menopause, menstrual cycle, hormone indexes, tumor markers as well as the number and maximum diameter of fibroids in ultrasound images were explored using univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS (a) The total positive F-FDG uptake rate and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) were 40.4% (19/47) and 4.38±2.57 (1.74-10.81), respectively, in patients with uterine fibroids; (b) univariate analysis showed that age, menopause, estrogen, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone as well as the number of fibroids were correlated positively with F-FDG uptake in uterine fibroids (P