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18F-Fluciclovine-Avid Pulmonary Hamartoma
Sacha C Baldeosingh1, Steven P Rowe, Stephen C Greco2
1From the Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science.
Clinical Nuclear Medicine
|September 28, 2021
Summary
18F-fluciclovine PET/CT scans can reveal prostate cancer recurrence. However, imaging specialists must recognize potential pitfalls, such as lung hamartomas mimicking metastases.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Medicine
- Oncology
- Radiology
Background:
- Biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer after prostatectomy necessitates accurate staging.
- 18F-fluciclovine Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) is increasingly utilized for detecting prostate cancer recurrence.
Observation:
- A 73-year-old man with recurrent prostate cancer showed 18F-fluciclovine uptake in the prostate bed and an incidental solitary lung nodule.
- The lung nodule exhibited smooth edges and internal fat attenuation, suggestive of a hamartoma.
Findings:
- The lung nodule demonstrated 18F-fluciclovine avidity, posing a potential diagnostic challenge.
- This avid uptake could be misinterpreted as prostate cancer metastasis to the lung.
Implications:
- Awareness of imaging pitfalls is crucial for accurate interpretation of 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT scans.
- Radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians must differentiate benign lung lesions from metastatic disease in prostate cancer patients.
