title: Diffuse FDG uptake due to fat necrosis following transverse rectus abdominus myocutaneous (TRAM) flap reconstruction.
abstract: We report a case of a 57-year-old female patient with right breast invasive ductal carcinoma. Bilateral mastectomy and TRAM flap reconstructions were performed. Postoperatively, a palpable focus was identified within the left breast. PET/CT showed hypermetabolism throughout the reconstructed left breast, correlating with mixed fat attenuation and inflammatory soft tissue. MRI showed extensive fat necrosis/oil cyst formation in the left breast. As a TRAM flap reconstruction with fat-rich tissue can be damaged intraoperatively due to surgical manipulation, abnormal FDG uptake in this setting is more likely related to fat necrosis than recurrent tumor.
authors: Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75246, USA.
authors: Nathan B
authors: NB
authors: Dobbs
authors: Hamid R
authors: HR
authors: Latifi
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000601:surgery; D005218:Fat Necrosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011859:Radiography; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D017568:Rectus Abdominis / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18