Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Associated Pitfalls on 18F-FDG PET/CT: Reactive Follicular Hyperplasia, Kikuchi-Fujimoto Disease, Inflammation and Lymphoid Hyperplasia of the Spleen Mimicking Lymphoma

William Makis; Anthony Ciarallo; Milene Gonzalez-Verdecia; Stephan Probst

doi:10.1007/s13139-017-0471-z

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Associated Pitfalls on ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT: Reactive Follicular Hyperplasia, Kikuchi-Fujimoto Disease, Inflammation and Lymphoid Hyperplasia of the Spleen Mimicking Lymphoma

Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2018 Feb;52(1):74-79. doi: 10.1007/s13139-017-0471-z. Epub 2017 Jan 29.

Authors

William Makis¹, Anthony Ciarallo², Milene Gonzalez-Verdecia³, Stephan Probst⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Diagnostic Imaging, CCI, 11560 University Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2 Canada.
² 2Nuclear Medicine, MUHC Glen Site, 1001 Decarie Blvd, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1 Canada.
³ 3Pathology, MUHC Glen Site, 1001 Decarie Blvd, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1 Canada.
⁴ 4Nuclear Medicine, MUHC Jewish General Hospital, 3755 Chemin de la Cote-Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2 Canada.

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with a variety of inflammatory processes that can affect the lymph nodes, brain, kidneys, and spleen. We present two patients with SLE in whom SLE-associated conditions complicated interpretation of ¹⁸F-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging of the lymph nodes and the spleen. The imaging findings mimicked lymphoma, but histopathological evaluation showed benign processes including reactive follicular hyperplasia in the lymph nodes, Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease in perisplenic lymph nodes, and inflammatory changes and lymphoid hyperplasia in the spleen.

Keywords: Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease; Lymphoma; PET/CT; SLE; Spleen; Systemic lupus erythematosus.

Publication types

Case Reports