title: 18FDG-PET/CT assessing the absence of cell viability and excluding metastatic disease in a case of necrotic choroidal melanoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report a case of choroidal melanoma in which the absence of 18FDG-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) uptake in the whole body scan excluded the presence of any foci of metastases. Additionally, the PET/CT study correctly diagnosed the necrotic character of the lesion.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 76-year-old woman with neovascular glaucoma, and without vitreous or retina visualization, was studied by our ophthalmology service.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ocular ultrasound showed an 18 × 16 mm vitreous exophytic image compatible with choroidal melanoma; magnetic resonance gave a 17 × 15 mm exophytic image, highly intense at T1 and hypointense at T2, with cystic and necrotic images after a contrast injection. An 18FDG-PET/CT study revealed a clearly hypometabolic lesion, representing absence of cell viability and excluding active melanoma cells. No other uptake lesions were detected at the whole-body PET/CT scan, assuming the absence of extraocular metastases. The eye was enucleated, and the pathology study showed a 16 × 15 mm necrotic choroidal melanoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 18FDG-PET/CT study correctly depicted the necrotic character of the choroidal melanoma and was able to exclude other foci of metastases.
authors: Ophthalmic Service, Institut de Investigacio Sanitaria Pere Virgili (IISPV), Hospital Universitario Sant Joan, Universidad Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain. promero@grupsagessa.com
authors: Pedro
authors: P
authors: Romero-Aroca
authors: Manuel
authors: M
authors: Montero-Jaime
authors: Belén
authors: B
authors: Intriago
authors: Frances
authors: F
authors: Riu
authors: Karla B
authors: KB
authors: Peña-Gonzalez
authors: Matias
authors: M
authors: Almena-Garcia
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002470:Cell Survival; D002830:Choroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D015353:Eye Enucleation; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008545:Melanoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D009336:Necrosis; D009915:Orbit / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18