False-positive PET scan in a patient with lipoid pneumonia simulating lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Lipoid pneumonia usually presents with alveolar infiltrates or as a nonresolving process. We report a case of lipoid pneumonia that presented as a solitary pulmonary nodule and had a high standard uptake value on PET scan, thereby mimicking a malignant process. This case highlights the presence of false-positive PET imaging in a patient with lipoid pneumonia and Mycobacterium chelonae infection.


METHODS
The patient was examined using CT scanning. The nodule was further investigated with a PET scan using F-18 FDG and the standard uptake value was determined.


RESULTS
Histopathology following removal of the nodule confirmed the diagnosis of lipoid pneumonia, and the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was reported as M. chelonae, a rapidly growing mycobacterium (RGM).


CONCLUSIONS
Lipoid pneumonia can present as a PET-positive lung nodule and should be considered in the differential diagnosis and workup of a solitary pulmonary nodule.
Talwar
Arunabh
A
Department of Medicine, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, New York 11030, USA. arunabh@nshs.edu
Mayerhoff
Ross
R
London
Darrin
D
Shah
Rakesh
R
Stanek
Albert
A
Epstein
Marcia
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016926:Mycobacterium chelonae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011017:Pneumonia, Lipid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D003074:Solitary Pulmonary Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18