Active subcutaneous calcinosis demonstrated by fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in a case of limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis.
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rheumatic autoimmune disease of unknown origin causing fibrosis of the skin and the internal organs. The limited cutaneous variant is the most common subtype of SSc, and it is predominantly characterized by skin and soft-tissues involvement. A 72-year-old woman, who had been diagnosed with the limited cutaneous form of SSc 16 years before, underwent fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) examination due to unexplained weight loss and recent onset of fatigue and joint pain. PET/CT images showed widespread soft-tissue calcinosis characterized by elevated glucose uptake.
Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Italy; Department of Nuclear Medicine, IRCCS Cà Granda Maggiore Policlinico Hospital Foundation, Milan, Italy.
Manuela
M
Vadrucci
Department of Nuclear Medicine, IRCCS Cà Granda Maggiore Policlinico Hospital Foundation, Milan, Italy.
Massimo
M
Castellani
Department of Nuclear Medicine, IRCCS Cà Granda Maggiore Policlinico Hospital Foundation, Milan, Italy.
Riccardo
R
Benti
Positron emission tomography/computed tomography; soft-tissue calcinosis; systemic sclerosis