Evaluation of Cavitary Lung Lesions with 18F-FDG PET/CT: Differentiating Benign from Malignant Lesions

Objectives: F-FDG PET/CT) features to differentiate benign from malignant pulmonary cavitary lesions. Methods: ) of lesions were recorded. Cavitary lesions were classified as benign or malignant and further subdivided by maximum wall thickness into two groups: ≤15 mm and >15 mm. Histopathological results, clinical follow-up, or both were used as the reference standard for lesion classification. Results: was independently associated with malignancy (odds ratio: 1.237, p=0.017) and showed the best diagnostic performance (area under the curve=0.866; cut-off 8.58, sensitivity 80%, specificity 77%). Conclusion: demonstrated the highest diagnostic performance. The combined evaluation of metabolic and morphological parameters can enhance diagnostic accuracy and support the clinical decision-making process, thereby contributing to the optimal management of patients.