title: Normal Physiologic and Benign Foci with F-18 FDG Avidity on PET/CT in Patients with Breast Cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiologic and benign F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) avid foci in patients with breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  On 309 F-18 FDG PET/CT scans of 241 women with breast cancer, the hypermetabolic lesions compared with the surrounding normal region were evaluated retrospectively. Available reports of other relevant radiological imaging, medical records, and follow-up PET/CT were reviewed for explanations of the abnormal uptake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 70 physiologic foci, muscular uptake of the lower neck following the surgical and/or radiation therapy of ipsilateral breast (29%), hypermetabolic ovaries (16%) and uterine (10%) uptake during the ovulatory and menstrual phases during the normal menstrual cycle were identified, and also hypermetabolic brown fat in cold-induced thermogenesis (7%), non-specific bowel uptake (35%) were observed. Among the 147 benign lesions, sequelae of the chest wall and breasts following surgical and/or radiation therapy, were often observed (27%). Hypermetabolic thyroid glands were noted as adenomas and chronic thyroiditis (18%). Reactive hyperplasia of cervical or mediastinal lymph nodes (32%), degenerative osteoarthritis and healed fractures (15%), hypermetabolic benign lung lesions (6%) were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Altered physiologic and benign F-18 FDG uptake in the lower cervical muscle and chest wall following ipsilateral breast surgery or radiotherapy were common, and also normal physiologic uptake in ovary and uterus, brown fat, thyroid were considered as predominant findings in women patients with breast cancer. Knowledge of these findings might aid in the interpretation of FDG PET/CT in patients with breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Wonkwang University College of Medicine and Institute of Wonkwang Medical Science, Iksan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Soon-Ah
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Wonkwang University College of Medicine and Institute of Wonkwang Medical Science, 344-2 Shinyong-Dong, Iksan, Jeollabuk-do 570-749 Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang-Man
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Wonkwang University College of Medicine and Institute of Wonkwang Medical Science, 344-2 Shinyong-Dong, Iksan, Jeollabuk-do 570-749 Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: UnJong
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Wonkwang University College of Medicine and Institute of Wonkwang Medical Science, Iksan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hun Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Wonkwang University College of Medicine and Institute of Wonkwang Medical Science, Iksan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hye-Won
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Wonkwang University College of Medicine and Institute of Wonkwang Medical Science, Iksan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Song
keywords: Benign; Breast; Carcinoma; F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose; FDG; Physiologic