الفهرس 
Occult Primary and Recurrent Tumor of Head and NeckOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 167 |  |  |
| | | from | 167 | | |
Abstract
Background: Positron Emission Tomography (PET) has proved useful in the detection of occult primary tumor with cervical lymph node metastases as well as recurrent head and neck tumors, even after an unsuccessful conventional diagnostic workup. We aim to provide an updated evidence about the sensitivity and specificity of PET-CT in the detection of occult primary head and neck carcinomas, as well as in patients with recurrent head and neck tumors.
Objective: To assess the sensitivity and specificity of PET-CT in the detection of occult primary head and neck carcinomas, as well as in detection of recurrence in head and neck tumors.
Patients and Methods: We prepared this systematic review with a careful following of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. We also adhered to The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines during the design of our study.
Data Sources: Medline databases (PubMed, Medscape, ScienceDirect. EMF-Portal) and all materials available in the Internet till 2021.
Data Extraction: If the studies did not fulfill the inclusion criteria, they were excluded. Study quality assessment included whether ethical approval was gained, eligibility criteria specified, appropriate controls, and adequate information and defined assessment measures.
Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that PET/CT showed moderate sensitivity and high specificity in detection of occult primary head and neck tumors. PET/CT yielded high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of recurrence after curative treatment in patients with head and neck cancer. The high diagnostic accuracy of follow-up FDG PET/CT in detection of recurrence supports its use in clinical practice for long-term follow-up. However, PET-CT might not be a good option to follow up after treatment with radiotherapy as it showed low sensitivity and moderate specificity.