Open Access<p><sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET–CT Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in Celiac Lymph Nodes</p>
Author(s) -
Xi Bao Mao,
Nan Li,
Zao Sheng Huang,
Chen Min Ding,
Wen Jun Bao,
Jing Fan,
Hai Long Li
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
international journal of general medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.722
H-Index - 36
ISSN - 1178-7074
DOI - 10.2147/ijgm.s287115
Subject(s) - medicine , lymph , lymph node , radiology , tuberculosis , vomiting , positron emission tomography , pancreatic mass , pancreatic cancer , standardized uptake value , biopsy , abdominal pain , nuclear medicine , cancer , pancreas , pathology , gastroenterology
The special location of abdominal tuberculosis makes it difficult for biopsy, while its clinical and imaging characteristics make it indistinguishable from tumors. Here, we report a female patient that was initially misdiagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but eventually correctly diagnosed with tuberculosis in the celiac lymph nodes using 18 F-FDG PET-CT. She was 38 years old. Her main complaint was "deep abdominal pain and discomfort for nearly a month", accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Diagnosis of pancreatic tumors or enlarged lymph nodes was initially made based on CT scan results. Abdominal MRI revealed enlarged lymph nodes. 18 F-FDG PET-CT imaging revealed a soft-tissue mass about 2.8 cm in diameter in the hepatic hilar area with a maximum standardized uptake value (SUV max ) of 9.4, and delayed imaging measured the SUV max at 12. Enhanced CT showed no vascular envelopment in the mass. Based on these results, the patient was diagnosed with tuberculosis in the celiac lymph nodes. Her tuberculin test was strongly positive. After 5 months of antituberculosis treatment, the mass had reduced to about 1.5 cm in diameter and SUV max reduced to 8.1, as demonstrated by 18 F-FDG PET-CT imaging. Abdominal lymph-node tuberculosis is easy to misdiagnose, but timely 18 F-FDG PET-CT imaging combined with tuberculin testing may reduce misdiagnosis and mistreatment.