Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Iatrogenic FDG foci in the lungs: a pitfall of PET image interpretation

  • Nuclear Medicine
  • Published:
European Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract.

2-[F-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) has become an important staging modality for many tumors, including bronchial carcinoma; however it is important to know that there are several pitfalls in PET image interpretation. In this report we demonstrate three cases in which focal intrapulmonary FDG uptake could possibly represent iatrogenic microembolism. These FDG accumulations would have been interpreted as malignant tumor mass in the lung if no anatomic correlation would have been performed. For this reason, we further present an integrated PET/CT scanner, which recently has been introduced. This correlation of molecular and morphological information enables the specification of the FDG-PET findings.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5a, b.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 7.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Pieterman RM, van Putten JW, Meuzelaar JJ, Mooyaart EL, Vaalburg W, Koeter GH et al. (2000) Preoperative staging of non-small-cell lung cancer with positron-emission tomography. N Engl J Med 343:254–261

    Google Scholar 

  2. Kamel E, Hany TF, Burger C, Treyer V, Lonn AH, Schulthess GK von et al. (2002) CT vs 68Ge attenuation correction in a combined PET/CT system: evaluation of the effect of lowering the CT tube current. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 29:346–350

    Google Scholar 

  3. Townsend DW, Cherry SR (2001) Combining anatomy and function: the path to true image fusion. Eur Radiol 11:1968–1974

    Google Scholar 

  4. Engel H, Steinert H, Buck A, Berthold T, Huch Boni RA, Schulthess GK von (1996) Whole-body PET: physiological and artifactual fluorodeoxyglucose accumulations. J Nucl Med 37:441–446

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hoch JR (1997) Management of the complications of long-term venous access. Semin Vasc Surg 10:135–143

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital, Rämistrasse 100, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland, Switzerland

    Thomas F. Hany, Juerg Heuberger & Gustav K. von Schulthess

Authors
  1. Thomas F. Hany
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Juerg Heuberger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Gustav K. von Schulthess
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gustav K. von Schulthess.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hany, T.F., Heuberger, J. & von Schulthess, G.K. Iatrogenic FDG foci in the lungs: a pitfall of PET image interpretation. Eur Radiol 13, 2122–2127 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-002-1681-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-002-1681-y

Keywords.

Search

Navigation