title: Pulmonary malignant melanoma with distant metastasis assessed by positron emission tomography-computed tomography.
abstract: Melanoma is a cutaneous malignant neoplasm of melanocytes. Primary malignant melanoma (MM) of the lung is very rare. Although previous reports have described the radiologic features of pulmonary MM, its rarity means that many factors are unknown. Thus, radiologic diagnosis is very difficult. Furthermore, there is little information regarding diagnostic application and/or the usefulness of [(18)F]-fluorine-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (FDG-PET-CT) for primary pulmonary MM. A 69-year-old patient with a productive cough lasting three weeks was admitted to our hospital. Chest CT showed a large single mass with a multi-lobulated margin and homogeneous enhancement in the right upper lobe, which was subsequently diagnosed as a primary pulmonary MM with multiple metastases. On PET-CT images, the pulmonary mass and multiple bone lesions showed very increased uptakes of FDG. Considering that pulmonary metastasis from a mucocutaneous melanoma is the main differential diagnosis of primary pulmonary MM, systemic assessment of the whole body is more important than for other types of lung malignancies. This report introduces PET-CT as a useful diagnostic modality for pulmonary MM, especially in cases of distant multiple metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Research Center for Pulmonary Disorders Chonbuk National University Medical School Jeonju South Korea; Research Institute of Clinical Medicine-Biomedical Research Institute Chonbuk National University Hospital Jeonju South Korea.
authors.forename: So Ri
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Research Center for Pulmonary Disorders Chonbuk National University Medical School Jeonju South Korea.
authors.forename: Ha-Yong
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Clinical Medicine-Biomedical Research Institute Chonbuk National University Hospital Jeonju South Korea; Department of Radiology Chonbuk National University Medical School Jeonju South Korea.
authors.forename: Gong Yong
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Research Center for Pulmonary Disorders Chonbuk National University Medical School Jeonju South Korea; Research Institute of Clinical Medicine-Biomedical Research Institute Chonbuk National University Hospital Jeonju South Korea.
authors.forename: Yeong Hun
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Choe
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Research Center for Pulmonary Disorders Chonbuk National University Medical School Jeonju South Korea; Research Institute of Clinical Medicine-Biomedical Research Institute Chonbuk National University Hospital Jeonju South Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Yong
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Research Center for Pulmonary Disorders Chonbuk National University Medical School Jeonju South Korea; Research Institute of Clinical Medicine-Biomedical Research Institute Chonbuk National University Hospital Jeonju South Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Chul
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Diagnosis; PET‐CT; lung; primary malignant melanoma