What are the sensitivities and specificities of FDG PET in epilepsy?

Prepare for the NMTCB PET Exam with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each offering hints and explanations. Excel in your certification test!

The choice indicating 90% sensitivity and 70% specificity of FDG PET in epilepsy accurately reflects the general performance characteristics of this imaging modality in cases of epilepsy. Sensitivity refers to the ability of FDG PET to correctly identify patients who have the condition, which in this case is a high percentage at 90%. This suggests that FDG PET is particularly effective at detecting regions of the brain that are involved in seizure activity.

Specificity, on the other hand, refers to the test's ability to accurately identify those without the condition. In this scenario, a specificity of 70% indicates that there is a moderate level of accuracy in ruling out patients who do not have epilepsy. This means that while FDG PET can recognize most patients with seizure disorders, there may be a higher chance of false positives, where the scan might suggest a seizure disorder in individuals not actually experiencing one.

These values come from clinical studies that evaluate the effectiveness of FDG PET in identifying the epileptogenic zone, which is crucial for appropriate surgical planning and management of epilepsy. The selection of the answer aligns well with established findings in the literature regarding the utilization of FDG PET in epilepsy diagnostics.

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