Schwannoma Mimicking Lung Cancer Metastases Demonstrated by PET/CT

Breast schwannoma in a patient with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a case report

Introduction

Schwannomas are mostly benign tumors arising from Schwann cells of the nerve sheaths. Breast schwannomas are very rare and account for only 2.6% of cases. As far as we know this is the first reported case of breast schwannoma discovered in a patient with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The breast schwannoma was evaluated with positron emission tomography and it exhibited moderate 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake.

Case presentation

We present the case of a breast schwannoma in a 63-year-old Caucasian woman who was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Conclusion

Imaging modalities including positron emission tomography-computed tomography failed to distinguish breast schwannoma from diffuse large B-cell lymphoma involvement of the breast.

PET/CT-MR Imaging in Head and Neck Cancer Including Pitfalls and Physiologic Variations

This article emphasizes the strengths and potential pitfalls of functional and anatomic imaging in patients who have head and neck cancer with an emphasis on the treated neck, including patients who have undergone surgery and/or radiation therapy. Anatomic and molecular imaging together allow optimal evaluation and interpretation of a patient who has cancer. Effective assessment of patients who have head and neck cancer can be achieved through a careful review of pertinent anatomy, with awareness of the physiologic variations (especially those in the treated head and neck) seen in PET imaging, and analysis of both the PET and cross-sectional images.

Role of modern imaging techniques for diagnosis of infection in the era of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography

During the past several years, it has become quite evident that positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) imaging can play a major role in the management of patients with suspected infection. Particularly, several groups have demonstrated that this powerful imaging methodology is very effective in the evaluation of osteomyelitis, infected prostheses, fever of unknown origin, and AIDS. In view of its extraordinary sensitivity in detecting disease activity and the ability to quantitate the degree of FDG uptake, PET might prove to be an appropriate modality for monitoring disease activity and evaluating response to therapy. FDG-PET has many advantages over existing imaging techniques for the diagnosis of infectious diseases. These include feasibility of securing diagnostic results within 1.5 to 2 h, excellent spatial resolution, and accurate anatomical localization of sites of abnormality. The availability of PET/computed tomography as a practical tool has further enhanced the role of metabolic imaging in many settings. In the future, this modality is very likely to be employed on a routine basis for detecting, characterizing, and monitoring patients with suspected and proven infection.