Clinical Imaging
Volume 33, Issue 6 , Pages 468-470, November 2009

Flare phenomenon in positron emission tomography in a case of breast cancer—a pitfall of positron emission tomography imaging interpretation

  • Dom-Gene Tu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan
    • Center of General Education, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Wei-Jen Yao

      Affiliations

    • Department of Nuclear Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author.
    • ,
  • Tsai-Wang Chang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Nan-Tsing Chiu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Nuclear Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Yi-Hsun Chen

      Affiliations

    • Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan

Received 8 February 2009; accepted 27 February 2009. published online 23 April 2009.

Abstract 

We present an unusual case of breast cancer with increased FDG uptake 4 months after chemotherapy. A PET-CT scan displayed results that mimicked multiple lymph node metastases in the right axilla, the mediastinum, and the bilateral pulmonary hilar regions. However, the increased FDG uptake disappeared 17 months later without any additional medical treatment, suggesting the occurrence of flare phenomenon.

Keywords: Flare phenomenon, Breast cancer, Radionuclide imaging, F-18 FDG PET/CT

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PII: S0899-7071(09)00054-0

doi:10.1016/j.clinimag.2009.02.001

Clinical Imaging
Volume 33, Issue 6 , Pages 468-470, November 2009

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