Colonic adenoma detected by positron emission tomography (PET): a case report

A 61-year-old asymptomatic woman underwent whole-body positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose and was found to have a lesion in the ascending colon. Further colonic examination was not performed due to her medical condition. One year later, the lesion was demonstrated again by PET. After the second PET study, she underwent colonoscopy, which revealed a pedunculated polyp in the ascending colon. A polypectomy was performed. Histopathological study showed a 1.8-cm adenoma with mild to moderate atypia. The findings in our case suggest that increased glucose metabolism can be depicted by PET in colonic adenoma as well as in primary colonic carcinoma. Although the differentiation between colonic adenoma and carcinoma can not be determined by PET, adenomas are considered to have potential for malignant transformation and thus need to be resected. Therefore, it is noteworthy that PET can be used in the detection of adenomas.