Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2025
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High-Resolution Cardiac Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography for Small Animals
Published on: December 16, 2022
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Breast incidentaloma: Cardiac PET readers beware
Nirali Munshi1, Julio Perez-Downes2, Amie Leon3
1Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, 2265 Kraft Dr, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA.
Radiology Case Reports
|December 19, 2024
Summary
Breast cancer can be incidentally found on heart imaging scans. This case highlights ductal carcinoma in situ discovered during a cardiac PET-CT scan for chest pain evaluation.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Radiology
- Nuclear Medicine
Background:
- Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in women.
- Increased use of medical imaging leads to more incidental findings.
- Cancerous tumors can be detected on scans intended for other conditions.
Observation:
- Breast cancer's high metabolic activity can lead to incidental detection.
- Tumors may be within the field of view during cardiac imaging.
- A case of ductal carcinoma in situ was found on a cardiac PET-CT scan.
Findings:
- Nitrogen-13 ammonia myocardial perfusion positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) identified ductal carcinoma in situ.
- The patient was undergoing evaluation for chest pain.
Implications:
- Nuclear cardiac imaging may reveal unexpected breast cancers.
- This highlights the importance of reviewing incidental findings on all imaging modalities.
- Early detection of breast cancer, even incidentally, can improve outcomes.
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