Multiple muscle metastases from lung cancer detected by FDG PET/CT

A 71-year-old man with right lung mass, who was recently diagnosed histopathologically with pulmonary adenocarcinoma, was referred for staging of the primary tumor. Whole-body F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) demonstrated multiple hypermetabolic foci in various skeletal muscle localizations, suggesting extensive metastatic muscle involvements in addition to increased FDG uptake in the primary tumor. Subsequent biopsy and histopathological study confirmed muscle metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma. Skeletal muscle metastasis from lung cancer is rare, but multiple muscle metastases are even more unusual. FDG PET/CT is able to detect unexpected metastatic involvements such as multiple muscle metastases in lung cancer patients.