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F-18 FDG uptake in a bone infarct: a case report
1Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-2675, USA.
Clinical Nuclear Medicine
|June 21, 2001
Summary
Bone infarcts can show increased F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake on PET scans, mimicking bone metastases. This case highlights the importance of considering benign causes like bone infarct in diagnostic imaging.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Medicine
- Oncology Imaging
- Pathology
Background:
- Positron emission tomography (PET) with F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is crucial for detecting metastatic disease.
- Differentiating benign conditions from malignant lesions is essential in cancer follow-up.
Observation:
- A patient with a history of breast cancer presented with rib pain and suspicious findings on bone scan.
- FDG PET imaging revealed increased uptake in the ribs, initially concerning for metastases.
Findings:
- Histopathological examination of the resected rib segment confirmed bone infarct, not metastatic cancer.
- The increased FDG uptake was attributed to an inflammatory process within the bone infarct.
Implications:
- Bone infarcts can exhibit FDG avidity, potentially leading to false-positive findings for metastasis on PET scans.
- This underscores the need for careful interpretation of FDG PET findings in the context of clinical and pathological data.
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