Foreign Body Abscess Mimicking a Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor in a Patient With Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Clin Nucl Med. 2015 Aug;40(8):674-5. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000000824.

Abstract

We report a case of a 47-year-old man with neurofibromatosis type 1 presenting with a growing and painful lesion within the right thigh, suggesting a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor. MRI showed a T2-weighted hyperintense lesion with surrounding edema and contrast enhancement. (18)F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated inhomogeneously increased tracer uptake within the right thigh. Histopathologic evaluation revealed a foreign body with purulent fibroinflammatory reaction. (18)F-FDG PET/CT is a highly sensitive tool for detection of malignant transformation in neurofibromatosis type 1, but false-positive findings may be observed in benign lesions, for example, inflammatory processes.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Abscess / complications
  • Abscess / diagnostic imaging*
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Foreign-Body Reaction / complications
  • Foreign-Body Reaction / diagnostic imaging*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Medical Errors
  • Middle Aged
  • Multimodal Imaging
  • Nerve Sheath Neoplasms / complications
  • Nerve Sheath Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Neurofibromatosis 1 / complications
  • Neurofibromatosis 1 / diagnostic imaging*
  • Peripheral Nerves / diagnostic imaging*
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18