18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging of Pulmonary Mucinous Cystadenocarcinoma with Signet Ring Cells

Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2017 Sep;51(3):277-280. doi: 10.1007/s13139-016-0402-4. Epub 2016 Feb 15.

Abstract

A 63-year-old male with a recently diagnosed right lung lesion was referred for staging. F-FDG PET/CT scan revealed a hypodense, cystic-like mass in the right upper lung lobe, which demonstrated low, diffuse 18F-FDG uptake, likely due to the presence of mucus, as well as intensely hypermetabolic right hilar and right paratracheal lymph nodes. Transbronchial biopsy revealed a primary pulmonary mucinous cystadenocarcinoma with the presence of signet ring cell carcinoma, a co-existence of two rare variants of lung adenocarcinoma. This case report demonstrates the metabolic phenotype along with the radiographic characteristics of this rare tumor and its metastases.

Keywords: Carcinoma, signet ring cell; Cystadenocarcinoma, mucinous; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Imaging; Lung neoplasms; Positron-emission tomography.