title: Haematogenous muscular metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer in F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  F-18 FDG PET/CT is the most effective method for demonstrating extrapulmonary metastases of lung cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate the level of muscular metastasis of non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) in F-18 FDG PET/CT and to demonstrate the characteristics of this special group of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1150 patients with the diagnosis of NSCLC, who were referred for F-18 FDG PET/CT, were included into the study. Among these patients, the findings of 13 who were shown to have muscle metastases were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the retrospective analysis of the patients, 13 patients (12 male, 1 female; mean: 59 ±7 years old) were found to have haematogenous (excluding local invasion) muscular metastases of NSCLC using F-18 FDG PET/CT. Two of the 13 patients had only muscular metastases (one patient isolated, one patient two foci). The other 11 patients had additional distant metastases in six metastatic sites (bone in 7 patients, distant lymph node in 6, adrenal gland in 5, contralateral lung in 3, liver in 1, and brain metastasis in 1 patient). Five patients died during the mean 11 ±8 months follow up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Muscular metastasis is not a rare condition, especially in F-18 FDG PET/CT examinations, and is frequently associated with additional distant metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kanuni Training and Research Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Karyagar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Savas
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Firat, Elazig, Turkey.
authors.forename: Koc Zehra
authors.initials: KZ
authors.lastname: Pinar
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kanuni Training and Research Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Karyagar Saglampinar
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Sevda
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Giresun, Giresun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kesici
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ugur
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Kanuni Training and Research Hospital, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Savli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Evrim
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Rize Medical Faculty, RTE University, Rize, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cinarka
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Halit
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Karadeniz Technique University, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mungan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sevdegul
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Firat, Elazig, Turkey.
authors.forename: Balci Tansel
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Ansal
keywords: F-18 FDG PET/CT; lung cancer; muscular metastasis