Disseminated tuberculosis masquerading as metastatic breast carcinoma on PET-CT

Clin Nucl Med. 2008 May;33(5):359-61. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0b013e31816a858e.

Abstract

PET has an established role in the management of breast cancer. However, F-18 FDG uptake sometimes has been associated with benign disease leading to false positive results. We present a case of a 37-year-old woman who presented with a 3-month history of a left breast lump and palpable left axillary lymph nodes. Whole-body PET-CT scan demonstrated multiple focal areas of intense FDG uptake in the left breast and multiple axillary, cervical, and mediastinal lymph nodes. PET-CT findings mimicked metastatic breast cancer, which was subsequently confirmed as disseminated tuberculosis by mammotome-guided biopsy of the breast lesion and fine needle aspiration biopsy of lymph nodes.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Breast Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Breast Neoplasms / secondary
  • Carcinoma / diagnosis
  • Carcinoma / secondary
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Humans
  • Positron-Emission Tomography / methods*
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods*
  • Tuberculosis / diagnosis*

Substances

  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18