Incidental detection of bilateral elastofibroma dorsi with F-18 FDG PET/CT

An 83-year-old asymptomatic woman with a history of breast cancer treated with resection, radiation, and chemotherapy was studied with F-18 FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for staging purposes. The whole-body F-18 FDG PET/CT images revealed poorly circumscribed, bilateral soft tissue masses between the inferior tips of the scapulae and chest wall with a moderate degree of F-18 FDG accumulation. The maximum standardized uptake values were 2.8 for both the left and right lesions. A biopsy or further imaging was not recommended because the lesions were asymptomatic, bilateral, and their imaging features were diagnostic for elastofibroma dorsi. Comparison to a CT scan performed 2 years earlier demonstrated stability of the lesions, further supporting our diagnosis. Recognition of this moderately metabolic benign entity in oncologic patients will avoid unnecessary medical, radiologic, or surgical interventions.