Isotopic Imaging

FDG-PET/CT remains currently the main nuclear medicine imaging technique used to investigate cervical masses. FDG-PET/CT is particularly recommended for the exploration of a cervical mass of unknown primary after conventional workup, guiding biopsy, and assessing the extension of head and neck cancer. However, some benign head and neck tumors are also FDG avid (particularly benign salivary gland tumors), and there are numerous pitfalls and inflammatory and infectious pathologies that can lead to misinterpretation of FDG-PET/CT in this region. The objective of this chapter is to review FDG-PET/CT preparation and acquisition procedures, some classic pitfalls, and FDG-PET/CT interpretation in different scenarios and tumor locations of the head and neck. It also discusses other radiotracers useful for exploring certain cervical lesions (thyroid scintigraphy, Somatostatin Receptor radiotracers, etc.).