Costosternal chondrodynia simulating recurrent breast cancer unveiled by FDG PET.

Abstract

FDG-PET imaging, which is routinely used to assess recurrent breast cancer, is nonspecific for malignancies and can detect several inflammatory lesions. Costochondritis following breast reconstructive surgery, presenting with excruciating chest pain or "chondrodynia," is a rare variant of Tietze's syndrome thought to occur due to traction exerted by large breast implants. Diagnosis is usually clinical because no abnormalities are identified on conventional imaging. Two cases have been reported in the literature, but none with FDG-PET. We report a patient with treated breast cancer, presenting with chest pain where FDG-PET to assess for recurrence was consistent with costochondritis and peri-implant inflammation.

• Authors: Anita S Mathew, Ghassan El-Haddad, David L Lilien, Amol M Takalkar
• Journal: Clinical nuclear medicine (Clin Nucl Med) Vol. 33 Issue 5 Pg. 330-2 (May 2008) ISSN: 0363-9762 [Print] United States
• PMID: 18431146 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Radiopharmaceuticals
• Fluorodeoxyglucose F18

Topics

• Breast Neoplasms (diagnostic imaging)
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Female
• Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Recurrence, Local (diagnostic imaging)
• Positron-Emission Tomography (methods)
• Radiopharmaceuticals
• Sternum (diagnostic imaging)
• Tietze's Syndrome (diagnostic imaging)