title: 18F-FDG uptake in multiple splenic foci on PET/CT: an unusual case of visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: A previously well 48-year-old male patient presented with several months of weight loss, fever, massive hepatosplenomegaly, and pancytopenia. A provisional diagnosis of lymphoma could not be confirmed on blind lymph node or bone marrow biopsies. Referral for 18F-FDG PET was made to identify an appropriate biopsy site. Focal uptake in multiple splenic lesions was seen, with normal FDG uptake elsewhere in the body. Splenectomy was then performed and histology revealed leishmaniasis, with no evidence of lymphoma. Focally FDG avid splenic deposits have never been reported in leishmaniasis and were likely due to nodular red pulp expansion.
authors.affiliation: From the *Specialised PET Services Queensland, †Helix Pathology, and ‡Department of Nuclear Medicine, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston; and §School of Medicine, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia.
authors.forename: Glenna M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: Aravind S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ravi Kumar
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013154:Spleen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18