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Published in: Strahlentherapie und Onkologie 4/2012

01-04-2012 | Case study

Pitfalls in radiation oncology

“Myocardial metastasis” in PET-CT after palliative radiation treatment of the left 5th rib

Authors: P. Kröpil, W. Budach, PD Dr. E. Bölke, P.A. Gerber, F. Zinnmann, H. Hautzel, G. Antoch, A. Scherer, C. Matuschek

Published in: Strahlentherapie und Onkologie | Issue 4/2012

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Abstract

Background

Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) is a useful diagnostic tool to detect metastases in patients with malignancy. False positives have been reported in cases of inflammation and tissue regeneration.

Case report

Over a period of 2 years, a 32-year-old woman with hepatocellular carcinoma and multiple bone metastases received three treatments of radiation therapy to a bone metastasis in the 5th left rib. Restaging with [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET-CT showed increased uptake within the cardiac apex highly suspicious for a myocardial metastasis. Because the patient was asymptomatic, additional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the heart was performed demonstrating radiation-associated changes but no evidence for metastases.

Conclusion

PET-CT is a well-established diagnostic tool in metastatic diseases but its results should always be correlated with the clinical picture of the patient and previous treatments to rule out false positives.
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Metadata
Title
Pitfalls in radiation oncology
“Myocardial metastasis” in PET-CT after palliative radiation treatment of the left 5th rib
Authors
P. Kröpil
W. Budach
PD Dr. E. Bölke
P.A. Gerber
F. Zinnmann
H. Hautzel
G. Antoch
A. Scherer
C. Matuschek
Publication date
01-04-2012
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Strahlentherapie und Onkologie / Issue 4/2012
Print ISSN: 0179-7158
Electronic ISSN: 1439-099X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00066-011-0059-y

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