title: F-18 FDG hypermetabolism in mass-forming focal pancreatitis and old hepatic schistosomiasis with granulomatous inflammation misdiagnosed by PET/CT imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We report the case of a 59-year-old male patient who presented with space-occupying lesions in the pancreas and liver suggestive of metastatic pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Whole-body F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT imaging and enhanced CT imaging of the lesions were performed in addition to abdominal ultrasound, ERCP, and MRCP. Tumor markers, including CA199 and AFP, were also evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PET/CT imaging showed a soft tissue mass with indistinct boundaries in the head of the pancreas with a maximum SUV of 4.39. A less dense shadow was also found in the left lobe of the liver with an indistinct boundary and a maximum SUV of 4.13. Enhanced CT revealed an enhancing mass in the head of the pancreas on arterial phase imaging as well as a mildly enhancing focus in the left lobe of the liver. The patient was diagnosed with a space-occupying lesion of the uncinate process of the pancreas suggestive of pancreatic cancer with metastasis to the liver. However, serum tumor markers were normal. Postoperative pathology was consistent with chronic pancreatitis and old hepatic schistosomiasis associated with granulomatous inflammation of the liver.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This case of mass-forming pancreatitis and granulomatous inflammation in old hepatic schistosomiasis mimicked metastatic pancreatic cancer on PET/CT. Such false positive lesions have not been reported before, and further exploration and investigation are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University Zhejiang 310003, China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University Zhejiang 310003, China.
authors.forename: Wei-Lin
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of PET/CT Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University Zhejiang 310003, China.
authors.forename: Kui
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006099:Granuloma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008109:Liver Diseases, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology / Q000601:surgery; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D050500:Pancreatitis, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000469:parasitology / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D051598:Whole Body Imaging
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
keywords: PET/CT; Pancreatic carcinoma; granulomatous; liver metastasis; mass-forming pancreatitis; schistosome