Case of Pulmonary Cryptococcosis Mimicking Hematogeneous Metastases in an Immuocompetent Patient: Value of Absent 18F-Fluorodeoxylucose Uptake on Positron Emission Tomography/CT Scan.
10.3348/kjr.2013.14.3.540
- Author:
Chiao Hua LEE
1
;
Ching TZAO
;
Tsun Hou CHANG
;
Wei Chou CHANG
;
Guo Shu HUANG
;
Chih Kung LIN
;
Hsin Chung LIN
;
Hsian He HSU
Author Information
1. Department of Radiology, Tri-Service General Hospital and National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan, Republic of China. hsianhe@yahoo.com.tw
- Publication Type:Case Reports
- Keywords:
Cryptococcosis;
Positron emission tomography;
Neoplasm metastasis;
Multiple pulmonary nodules
- MeSH:
Cryptococcosis/metabolism/*radionuclide imaging;
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18/*diagnostic use/pharmacokinetics;
Humans;
Immunocompetence;
Lung Diseases, Fungal/metabolism/*radionuclide imaging;
Lung Neoplasms/radionuclide imaging;
Male;
Middle Aged;
Multimodal Imaging/*methods;
Multiple Pulmonary Nodules/radionuclide imaging;
Positron-Emission Tomography/*methods;
Radiopharmaceuticals/*diagnostic use/pharmacokinetics;
Tomography, X-Ray Computed/*methods
- From:Korean Journal of Radiology
2013;14(3):540-543
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
The radiologic appearance of multiple discrete pulmonary nodules in immunocompetent patients, with cryptococcal infection, has been rarely described. We describe a case of pulmonary cryptococcosis, presenting with bilaterally and randomly distributed nodules on a computed tomography, mimicking hematogeneous metastases. Positron emission tomography does not demonstrate 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake, suggesting a low probability for malignancy, which is a crucial piece of information for clinicians when making a management decision. We find the absence of FDG uptake correlates with the pathologic finding of an infectious nodule, composed of fibrosis and necrosis.
