title: Role of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in a case of renal cell carcinoma to differentiate tumor thrombus from bland thrombus.
abstract: Tumor thrombus is a rare complication of many solid tumors. We present a case of renal cell carcinoma whose baseline contrast-enhanced computerized tomography (CT) revealed an heterogeneously enhancing mass in the upper half of right kidney with tumor thrombus in the right renal vein extending to suprarenal inferior vena cava (IVC), crossing the cavoatrial junction and reaching up to the right atrium (Grade IV). Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/CT imaging revealed large irregular right renal mass, hypermetabolic tumor thrombus extending from the right renal vein to suprarenal IVC reaching up to the right atrium. There was no FDG uptake noted in the infrarenal IVC and bilateral iliofemoral venous thrombi. Thus, 18F-FDG PET/CT was not only helpful in the staging, but was also helpful in differentiating tumor thrombus from bland thrombus in our patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT, Radiation Medicine Center, Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Sunita Nitin
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Sonavane
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT, Radiation Medicine Center, Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Gaurav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Medicine Center, Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Ramesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Asopa
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Radiation Medicine Center, Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Trupti
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Upadhye
keywords: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computerized tomography; bland thrombus; renal cell carcinoma; tumor thrombus