title: Postoperative reactive lymphadenitis: A potential cause of false-positive FDG PET/CT.
abstract: A wide variety of surgical related uptake has been reported on F18-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) scan, most of which can be differentiated from neoplastic process based on the pattern of FDG uptake and/or anatomic appearance on the integrated CT in image interpretation. A more potential problem we may be aware is postoperative reactive lymphadenitis, which may mimic regional nodal metastases on FDG PET/CT. This review presents five case examples demonstrating that postoperative reactive lymphadenitis could be a false-positive source for regional nodal metastasis on FDG PET/CT. Surgical oncologists and radiologists should be aware of reactive lymphadenitis in interpreting postoperative restaging FDG PET/CT scan when FDG avid lymphadenopathy is only seen in the lymphatic draining location from surgical site.
authors.affiliation: Yiyan Liu, Nuclear Medicine Service, Department of Radiology, Rutgers University Hospital, Newark, NJ 07103, United States.
authors.forename: Yiyan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: F18-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography; False-positive; Lymphadenitis; Lymphadenopathy