A case of metastatic malignancy masquerading as a hepatic hemangioma on labeled red blood cell scintigraphy.
A 36-yr-old woman with a past history of gastric neuro-endocrine carcinoma (carcinoid tumor) underwent 99mTc-red blood cell (RBC) scintigraphy for evaluation of a 2-cm echogenic liver mass demonstrated on ultrasound. Scan findings were typical of a cavernous hemangioma. On follow-up, however, there was progressive lesion enlargement; histopathology of the resected mass revealed neuro-endocrine carcinoma. This case report, one of the few examples of a false-positive 99mTc-RBC scan, highlights the need for cautious evaluation of focal liver masses, even when there are typical scintigraphic features of cavernous hemangioma.
Farlow
D C
DC
Department of Nuclear Medicine and Ultrasound, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
Little
J M
JM
Gruenewald
S M
SM
Antico
V F
VF
O'Neill
P
P
D000328:Adult; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004912:Erythrocytes; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006392:Hemangioma, Cavernous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D013667:Technetium; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D013667:Technetium