Conversion from FDG-negative to -positive during follow-up in a rare case of pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma.
A female patient aged 75 years presented with an incidental pulmonary nodule without FDG uptake when undergoing FDG PET/CT. Without obtaining histologic diagnosis, the follow-up FDG PET/CT 2 years later demonstrated intense FDG avidity within previously FDG-negative tumor. After surgery, the pathologic diagnosis is pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC). LELCs are unique because of histologic similarities with undifferentiated nasopharyngeal lymphoepithelioma and with a better prognosis as compared with other lung malignancies. However, the expression of FDG uptake in LELC has never been discussed. Herein, we describe a pulmonary LELC manifesting as a slowly growing tumor displaying conversion from FDG-negative to -positive avidity.
PET center and Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Daniel H Y
DH
Shen
Cheng-Yi
CY
Cheng
Li-Fan
LF
Lin
Hong-Wei
HW
Gao
Yueng-Long
YL
Cheng
Ching-Yuan
CY
Chen
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18