title: A case of secondary syphilis involving tonsil, pulmonary, and multiple lymph nodes: 18F-FDG PET/CT findings.
abstract: A 50-year-old man with general fatigue and weight loss underwent FDG PET/CT scan to detect possible occult malignancy. The images revealed abnormal FDG activity in the tonsils, right lung, and in the cervical, axillary, and inguinal lymph nodes. Lymphoma was initially suspected. However, pathologic examination after cervical lymph node biopsy revealed only reactive hyperplasia. Further examinations including serologic tests led to a diagnosis of secondary syphilis. A follow-up PET/CT scan after a 6-month benzylpenicillin therapy showed significant interval improvement.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University First Hospital; †Department of Nuclear Medicine, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine; and ‡Department of Ultrasound, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhanli
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D005189:False Positive Reactions; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013587:Syphilis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18