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Published on: May 23, 2015
The false assumption of lung cancer based upon a positive positron emission tomographic scan
John Alfred Carr1, Jeffrey M Silver
1Northern Illinois Cardiovascular & Thoracic Specialists, 1100 West Central Road, Suite 408, Arlington Heights, IL 60005, USA. heartandbones@yahoo.com
Objective:
To show that positron emission tomography (PET) can have false positive results from inflammatory lesions.
Methods:
We present a complicated, elderly patient who underwent an extensive work-up that failed to provide a diagnosis for a radiographic abnormality.
Results:
A PET scan was positive and the patient was believed to have lung carcinoma until eventual surgical excision was performed. Final pathology revealed that the patient had exogenous lipoid pneumonia.
Conclusions:
PET scans that are positive cannot be assumed to show a malignancy. Inflammatory lesions will also be positive with PET scanning.
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