title: F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in pulmonary cryptococcoma.
abstract: Cryptococcosis is not uncommon. Potential interpretation pitfalls should be kept in mind when fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) is used for differentiating pulmonary nodules and for discriminating infection from malignancy, especially in areas where the prevalence of granulomatous infection is high and in immunocompromised patients. In this case, a nodular mass was shown on chest radiography and computed tomographic (CT) scanning. A consolidated infection or a bronchioloalveolar carcinoma was suspected because the CT scan showed air bronchograms within the mass and another perihilar infiltration. The FDG PET scan clearly delineated the lesion and had intermediately high glucose uptake (standard uptake value, 3.8-4.0), which led to the exclusion of the possibility of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma because most of these tumors had normal or mildly increased FDG accumulation. Cryptococcoma was finally diagnosed. Hence, the CT scan and FDG PET played complementary roles in the differential diagnosis of this nodular mass.
authors.affiliation: PET Center, Taiwan, ROC, USA. chhsu@tmu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Chung-Huei
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Chi-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Fong-Chieh
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yun-Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18