Multimodality Imaging of Warthin's Tumor: PET/CT, Scintigraphy, MRI, and CT

Warthin's tumor is a benign salivary gland neoplasm that can exhibit intense FDG uptake, potentially mimicking malignant lesions on oncologic imaging. We report a case of a 78-year-old man undergoing staging for suspected lung cancer, in whom a hypermetabolic lesion was incidentally detected in the left parotid gland on [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT. Correlation with prior salivary scintigraphy, MRI, and CT supported the likelihood of Warthin's tumor, which was subsequently confirmed by fine-needle aspiration cytology. This case illustrates how multimodality imaging can provide complementary diagnostic information that helps characterize the parotid lesion, but not replace cytologic confirmation. Recognition of characteristic imaging features, an understanding of each modality's diagnostic strengths and limitations, and cytologic confirmation when indicated are essential to avoid misinterpretation and optimize patient management.