Detection of an asymptomatic right-ventricle cardiac metastasis from a small-cell lung cancer by F-18-FDG PET/CT.
A right heart metastasis of a small-cell lung cancer was found on the whole-body F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-FDG-PET/CT) of a 69-year-old smoker investigated for a right pulmonary mass discovered on chest radiography after a fracture of the right humerus. The PET scan showed an increased FDG uptake by the mass in the right lung and an intense, atypical focal activity of the right ventricle strongly suggestive of a neoplastic process. CT-guided lung biopsy revealed a small-cell lung cancer and myocardial biopsy confirmed the presence of a cardiac metastasis. The patient was treated with six cycles of chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy, which included the heart lesion. At follow-up PET/CT 2 months after the end of treatment, the abnormal cardiac uptake had disappeared, whereas increased FDG uptake persisted in the pulmonary residual mass.
Orcurto
Maria Victoria
MV
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. victoria.orcurto@chuv.ch
Delaloye
Angelika Bischof
AB
Letovanec
Igor
I
Martins Favre
Martina
M
Prior
John O
JO
D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18