(18)F-FDG PET/CT Findings in Acute Epstein-Barr Virus Infection Mimicking Malignant Lymphoma

Mathilde Ørbæk; Jesper Graff; Elena Markova; Gitte Kronborg; Anne-Mette Lebech

doi:10.3390/diagnostics6020018

(18)F-FDG PET/CT Findings in Acute Epstein-Barr Virus Infection Mimicking Malignant Lymphoma

Diagnostics (Basel). 2016 May 12;6(2):18. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics6020018.

Authors

Mathilde Ørbæk¹, Jesper Graff², Elena Markova³, Gitte Kronborg⁴, Anne-Mette Lebech⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Kettegaards Allé 30, DK-2650 Hvidovre, Denmark. mathilde.jensen@sund.ku.dk.
² Department of Clinical Physiology & Nuclear Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, DK-2650 Hvidovre, Denmark. jesper.graff@regionh.dk.
³ Department of Radiology, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, DK-2650 Hvidovre, Denmark. gitte.kronborg@regionh.dk.
⁴ Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Kettegaards Allé 30, DK-2650 Hvidovre, Denmark. gitte.kronborg@regionh.dk.
⁵ Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Kettegaards Allé 30, DK-2650 Hvidovre, Denmark. lebech@dadlnet.dk.

Abstract

We present a case demonstrating the diagnostic work-up and follow-up of a patient with acute Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in which the clinical picture and imaging on (18)F-FDG PET/CT mimicked malignant lymphoma. Follow-up (18)F-FDG PET/CT scan in the patient performed 7 weeks after the abnormal scan revealed complete resolution of the metabolically active disease in the neck, axillas, lung hili, and spleen. This case highlights inflammation as one of the most well established false positives when interpreting (18)F-FDG PET/CT scans.

Keywords: 18F-FDG PET/CT; Epstein-Barr virus; infectious mononucleosis; lymphadenopathy; malignant lymphoma.