Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging  2006;40(5):271-274

Detection of Superior Vena Cava Tumor Thrombus by F-18 FDG PET/CT in Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Seung Jin CHOI 1 ; Chul Soo KIM ; Sung Su BYUN ; Kyung Hee LEE ; In Young HYUN

Affiliations

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Keywords

superior vena cava syndrome; hepatocellular carcinoma; F-18 FDG PET/CT

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

We report the case of a 64-year-old man with superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome due to tumor thrombus from recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). He presented with new onset of facial swelling for 10 days. HCC was detected ten years ago. He has undergone repeated transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) and chemotherapy. Chest computed tomography (CT) demonstrated tumor thrombus in the SVC extending to right atrium. He underwent whole body F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose(FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanning for assessing the effect of TAE in HCC. F-18 FDG PET/CT showed increased uptake in the residual liver mass indicating viable tumor. There was another intense F-18 FDG accumulation in SVC extending to right atrium to suggest tumor thrombus. This case illustrates that F-18 FDG PET/CT is useful to identification of distant metastases as well as assessment of response to therapy in long-term survival HCC patients.