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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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SMC MEDIA SRL
2025-06-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.ejcrim.com/index.php/EJCRIM/article/view/5475 |
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| author | Maxime Collin Bruno Krug Marie-Cécile Nollevaux Fanny Collette Quentin Gilliaux Laurence Faugeras Lionel D'Hondt |
| author_facet | Maxime Collin Bruno Krug Marie-Cécile Nollevaux Fanny Collette Quentin Gilliaux Laurence Faugeras Lionel D'Hondt |
| author_sort | Maxime Collin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2c265c7c7db849c59d7e3b19ed0cef7f |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2284-2594 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | SMC MEDIA SRL |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-2c265c7c7db849c59d7e3b19ed0cef7f2025-07-02T08:03:49ZengSMC MEDIA SRLEuropean Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine2284-25942025-06-0110.12890/2025_005475501018FDG PET/CT is sensitive but not specific for malignancy: two cases of disseminated tuberculosis mimicking metastatic cancer on imaging and clinical presentationMaxime Collin0Bruno Krug1Marie-Cécile Nollevaux2Fanny Collette3Quentin Gilliaux4Laurence Faugeras5Lionel D'Hondt6Department of Oncology, CHU UCL Namur – site Godinne, Yvoir, BelgiumDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, CHU UCL Namur – site Godinne, Yvoir, BelgiumDepartment of Pathology, CHU UCL Namur – site Godinne, Yvoir, BelgiumDepartment of Oncology, CHU UCL Namur – site Godinne, Yvoir, BelgiumDepartment of Oncology, CHU UCL Namur – site Godinne, Yvoir, BelgiumDepartment of Oncology, CHU UCL Namur – site Godinne, Yvoir, BelgiumDepartment of Oncology, CHU UCL Namur – site Godinne, Yvoir, BelgiumIntroduction: 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.https://www.ejcrim.com/index.php/EJCRIM/article/view/5475metastasestuberculosis18fdg pet/ctmisleading diagnosiscase series |
| spellingShingle | Maxime Collin Bruno Krug Marie-Cécile Nollevaux Fanny Collette Quentin Gilliaux Laurence Faugeras Lionel D'Hondt 18FDG PET/CT is sensitive but not specific for malignancy: two cases of disseminated tuberculosis mimicking metastatic cancer on imaging and clinical presentation European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine metastases tuberculosis 18fdg pet/ct misleading diagnosis case series |
| title | 18FDG PET/CT is sensitive but not specific for malignancy: two cases of disseminated tuberculosis mimicking metastatic cancer on imaging and clinical presentation |
| title_full | 18FDG PET/CT is sensitive but not specific for malignancy: two cases of disseminated tuberculosis mimicking metastatic cancer on imaging and clinical presentation |
| title_fullStr | 18FDG PET/CT is sensitive but not specific for malignancy: two cases of disseminated tuberculosis mimicking metastatic cancer on imaging and clinical presentation |
| title_full_unstemmed | 18FDG PET/CT is sensitive but not specific for malignancy: two cases of disseminated tuberculosis mimicking metastatic cancer on imaging and clinical presentation |
| title_short | 18FDG PET/CT is sensitive but not specific for malignancy: two cases of disseminated tuberculosis mimicking metastatic cancer on imaging and clinical presentation |
| title_sort | 18fdg pet ct is sensitive but not specific for malignancy two cases of disseminated tuberculosis mimicking metastatic cancer on imaging and clinical presentation |
| topic | metastases tuberculosis 18fdg pet/ct misleading diagnosis case series |
| url | https://www.ejcrim.com/index.php/EJCRIM/article/view/5475 |
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