Pulmonary echinococcosis mimicking multiple lung metastasis of breast cancer: the role of fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography.
BACKGROUND
Echinococcosis is still a serious problem particularly in endemic areas such as South and Central America, Mediterranean countries, and Russia. Furthermore, hydatid cysts of the lung are often indistinguishable from a variety of other pulmonary lesions such as lung tumors


METHODS
We herein present a 56 year old woman with breast cancer who presented with bilateral pulmonary nodules due to echinococcosis granulosis that mimicked metastatic breast cancer to the lung.


CONCLUSIONS
During the evaluation of the malignancies which could metastasize to the lung, it must be kept in mind that the appearance of bilateral multiple pulmonary masses can also be the sign of a pulmonary echinococcosis especially in endemic areas. FDG-PET with its known high negative predictive value in characterizing indeterminate pulmonary nodules >1 cm is very helpful to characterize this kind of lesions.
Kurt
Yavuz
Y
Department of General Surgery, GATA Haydarpasa Istanbul, Turkey. drykurt@yahoo.com
Sücüllü
Ilker
I
Filiz
Ali Ilker
AI
Urhan
Muammer
M
Akin
Mehmet Levhi
ML
D015766:Albendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004445:Echinococcosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D015766:Albendazole