title: Teflon-induced granuloma: a false-positive finding with PET resolved with combined PET and CT.
abstract: Patients who have undergone thyroidectomy may have recurrent laryngeal nerve injury; until recently, Teflon injection was commonly used for vocal cord medialization. We present a case of a patient who underwent thyroidectomy who had significantly increased and unilateral (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the neck, which was found to be localized to the left vocal cord by use of combined positron emission tomography (PET) and CT, presumably because of a Teflon-induced granuloma. Knowledge of this potential source of false-positive PET interpretation because of its inability to precisely localize neoplastic lesions, and the use of combined PET and CT imaging, may allow precise diagnosis and prevention of unnecessary interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PET Facility, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Rita A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Yeretsian
authors.forename: Todd M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Blodgett
authors.forename: Barton F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Branstetter
authors.forename: Michelle M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Carolyn C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Meltzer
mesh_terms: D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000378:metabolism; D015745:Granuloma, Foreign-Body / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D061226:Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injuries; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000628:therapy*; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene