Nucl Med Mol Imaging.  2016 Mar;50(1):31-37. 10.1007/s13139-015-0364-y.

Granulomatous Prostatitis After Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Instillation Therapy: A Potential Cause of Incidental F-18 FDG Uptake in the Prostate Gland on F-18 FDG PET/CT in Patients with Bladder Cancer

• Kim CY
• Lee SW
• Choi SH
• Son SH
• Jung JH
• Lee CH
• Jeong SY
• Ahn BC
• Lee J

• KMID: 2313272
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1007/s13139-015-0364-y

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aimed to evaluate the possibility that Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-induced granulomatous prostatitis can be a potential cause of benign F-18 FDG uptake.
METHODS
A total of 395 bladder cancer patients who underwent F-18 FDG PET/CT (PET/CT) were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were divided into two groups according to BCG therapy status. Elapsed time after BCG therapy, serum PSA level, results of prostate biopsy, and the SUVmax and uptake pattern in the prostate gland were reviewed. For patients who underwent follow-up PET/CT, the changes in SUVmax were calculated.
RESULTS
While 35 % of patients showed prostate uptake in the BCG therapy group, only 1 % showed prostate uptake in the non-BCG therapy group (p<0.001). Among 49 patients with FDG-avid prostate lesions, none had suspected malignancy during the follow-up period (median: 16 months). Five patients revealed granulomatous prostatitis on biopsy. The incidence of FDG-avid prostate lesions was significantly higher if the elapsed time after BCG therapy was less than 1 year compared to more than 1 year (p<0.001). Serum PSAwas normal in 88 % of patients. All patients with incidental F-18 FDG uptake in the prostate gland showed focal or multifocal prostate uptake, and median SUVmax was 4.7. In 16 patients who underwent follow-up PET/CT, SUVmax was decreased in 14 patients (88 %) without treatment, and no patients demonstrated further increased prostate uptake (p<0.001).
CONCLUSION
BCG-induced granulomatous prostatitis can be a potential cause of benign F-18 FDG uptake, especially in those with a history of bladder cancer treated with BCG. In BCG-induced granulomatous prostatitis, focal or multifocal prostate uptake is frequently seen within 1 year after BCG therapy, and the intensity of prostate uptake is decreased on the follow-up PET/CT without any treatment.

Keyword

Bladder cancer; Intravesical BCG therapy; F-18 FDGPET/CT; Granulomatous prostatitis

MeSH Terms

Bacillus*
Biopsy
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Incidence
Mycobacterium bovis
Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography*
Prostate*
Prostatitis*
Retrospective Studies
Urinary Bladder Neoplasms*
Urinary Bladder*