FDG PET/CT imaging to rule out extrahepatic metastases before liver transplantation

Clin Nucl Med. 2007 Dec;32(12):947-8. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0b013e3181598cef.

Abstract

FDG PET/CT, an established imaging modality for staging and restaging workup of malignancies, also demonstrates increased uptake in infectious or inflammatory conditions, including both infectious and noninfectious granulomatous processes. A 65-year-old man with a history of hepatocellular carcinoma status post-wedge resection and chemoembolization of the primary tumor referred for evaluation of extrahepatic metastases for determining the surgical eligibility for a liver transplantation. The patient underwent FDG PET/CT imaging associated with a separately acquired contrast enhanced CT (CECT) of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis. FDG PET/CT imaging revealed multiple FDG-avid pulmonary nodules that were subsequently confirmed to represent Mycobacterium avium intracellular infection on histology.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Biopsy
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / complications
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / surgery
  • Contraindications
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Eligibility Determination
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Granuloma, Respiratory Tract / etiology
  • Humans
  • Immune Tolerance
  • Liver Neoplasms / complications
  • Liver Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Liver Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Liver Neoplasms / surgery
  • Liver Transplantation* / pathology
  • Lung Neoplasms / complications
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Lung Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Male
  • Mycobacterium avium Complex / immunology
  • Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / complications
  • Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / diagnosis
  • Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / pathology
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Positron-Emission Tomography*
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

Substances

  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18