title: Fat necrosis mimicking B-cell lymphoma: a PET/CT and FDG study.
abstract: F-18 fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (FDG and PET/CT) is increasingly becoming the standard in staging and restaging patients with a range of malignancies including B-cell lymphoma. However, there are well-known pitfalls in PET/CT with FDG imaging, which comprise infection, inflammation, physiological variants, and benign pathologic conditions. Fat necrosis is the result of death of adipose tissue from disease, injury, or pathologic conditions. We describe a case of false positive PET/CT and FDG scan in a patient with fat necrosis mimicking B-cell lymphoma after 6 cycles of rituximab with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) treatment. In interpreting PET/CT and FDG images with inconsistency in lesion response, fat necrosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis.
authors: Department of Radiology, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, Albany, Georgia 31702-1828, USA. abelakhl@ppmh.org
authors: Abdelfatihe
authors: A
authors: Belakhlef
authors: Chirag
authors: C
authors: Jani
authors: Clifford
authors: C
authors: Church
authors: Ron
authors: R
authors: Fraser
authors: Suresh
authors: S
authors: Lakhanpal
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005218:Fat Necrosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18