Suture granuloma showing false-positive finding on PET/CT after head and neck cancer surgery

Auris Nasus Larynx. 2012 Feb;39(1):94-7. doi: 10.1016/j.anl.2011.04.012. Epub 2011 May 28.

Abstract

We report herein two cases of suture granuloma showing focal intense 2-deoxy-2-[(18)F]fluoro-d-glucose (FDG)-uptake in positron emission tomography (PET). Follow-up FDG-PET after surgical intervention for head and neck cancer revealed lesions with high FDG-uptake, which were highly suspected of being a recurrent tumor. The lesions were subjected to excisional biopsy for definitive diagnosis. Histopathological examination proved them to be suture granulomas caused by non-absorbable silk sutures. It should be emphasized that suture granulomas can show false-positive findings on FDG-PET, thus requiring differential diagnosis from recurrent tumors.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • False Positive Reactions
  • Female
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Granuloma / diagnostic imaging
  • Granuloma / etiology*
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multimodal Imaging
  • Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / adverse effects*
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Postoperative Complications / diagnostic imaging*
  • Sutures / adverse effects*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18