Extraosseous bone-tracer uptake. Plasma cell granuloma

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Radiology
• Nuclear Medicine
• Pathology

Background:

• Plasma cell granuloma is a rare benign entity.
• Diagnosis can be challenging in pediatric patients.
• Imaging plays a crucial role in diagnosis and management.

Observation:

• A large plasma cell granuloma was found in the left upper lobe of a 5-year-old girl.
• The soft tissue mass showed uptake of Technetium-99m methylene diphosphonate (Tc-99m MDP) on bone imaging.
• This finding suggests the utility of bone-seeking radiopharmaceuticals in evaluating pediatric chest masses.

Findings:

• Bone imaging demonstrated Tc-99m MDP uptake in the plasma cell granuloma.
• This uptake highlights the potential for false-positive bone scans in pediatric chest lesions.
• Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of plasma cell granuloma.

Implications:

• Plasma cell granuloma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pediatric chest masses with abnormal radiotracer uptake.
• Nuclear medicine imaging, specifically bone scans, can aid in the detection and characterization of such lesions.
• This case underscores the importance of correlating imaging findings with clinical and pathological data for accurate diagnosis in pediatric oncology.