18FDG PET/CT is sensitive but not specific for malignancy: two cases of disseminated tuberculosis mimicking metastatic cancer on imaging and clinical presentation
Introduction: 18Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18FDG PET/CT) scan is widely used in the evaluation of suspected tumoral processes. In addition to its oncological applications, it is also employed in the diagnosis and follow-up of various conditions, including mu...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SMC MEDIA SRL
2025-06-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.ejcrim.com/index.php/EJCRIM/article/view/5475 |
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| Summary: | Introduction: 18Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18FDG PET/CT) scan is widely used in the evaluation of suspected tumoral processes. In addition to its oncological applications, it is also employed in the diagnosis and follow-up of various conditions, including multiorgan tuberculosis.
Case description: We report a case series of two young patients with exclusive extrapulmonary disseminated tuberculosis that mimicked a neoplastic process both clinically and on 18FDG PET/CT imaging. Initially, both patients were admitted to the oncology unit with a presumed diagnosis of cancer. However, following an exhaustive work-up, a definitive diagnosis of tuberculosis was established via histopathological and microbiological analysis.
Conclusion: These cases underscore the importance of considering disseminated tuberculosis as a differential diagnosis during oncologic evaluations, especially in patients from endemic regions, and highlight the potential psychological impact of prematurely labelling a condition as cancer. |
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| ISSN: | 2284-2594 |