Incidental Pituitary Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) Uptake on PET‐CT: A Retrospective Review of Current Practice and Outcomes at a UK Tertiary Centre
Authors' conclusion
Our review highlights significant variation in referral patterns for secondary imaging and to the Endocrine department. We suggest potential use of SUVmax threshold to distinguish physiological from pathological pituitary FDG uptake. Further validation in larger cohorts is warranted before routine clinical application.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with incidental pituitary FDG uptake among 15,824 positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scans (01/01/2017–30/06/2024), UK tertiary hospital; mean age 72.1 ± 1.3 years, 25.7% female48 had secondary imaging
- Participants
- 70 patients
- Exposure
- Pituitary pathology vs normal secondary imaging in incidental pituitary FDG uptake
- Normal imagingn = 34reference
- Outcome
- SUVmax on initial PET-CT
Methodological detailssingle-centre, UK tertiary hospital
- Single-centre
- UK tertiary hospital
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Pituitary adenomas
20.62
mean · ± 4.82
All pathology
16.74
mean · ± 3.80
Normal imaging
4.66
mean · ± 0.26
P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
SUVmax threshold 4.75 for detecting pituitary pathology
- Sensitivity
- 100%
- Specificity
- 53.9%
- ROC curve 95% CI
- 69%-100%
Secondary imaging findings
- Underwent secondary imaging
- 48 (68.6%)
- Normal secondary imaging
- 70.8% (n = 34)
- Macroadenomas
- 6
- Microadenomas
- 3
- Other lesions
- 5
Original publication
Incidental Pituitary FDG Uptake on PET‐CT: A Retrospective Review of Current Practice and Outcomes at a UK Tertiary Centre. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). Published 24 November 2025. doi:10.
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