Fat necrosis may mimic local recurrence of breast cancer in FDG PET/CT.

Abstract

Fat necrosis of the breast is a benign condition that most commonly occurs as the result of trauma. The radiographic and clinical significance of fat necrosis of the breast is that it may mimic malignancy. We present a case of false positive FDG PET/CT scan caused by fat necrosis and mimics local recurrence of breast carcinoma 3 years after radical mastectomy. Physicians must be aware of fat necrosis as a potential pitfall for PET/CT. Fat necrosis must be considered in the differential diagnosis of hypermetabolic breast masses in patients who previously had mastectomy or mammoplasty.

• Authors: Burcu E Akkas, G Ucmak Vural
• Journal: Revista espanola de medicina nuclear e imagen molecular (Rev Esp Med Nucl Imagen Mol) Vol. 32 Issue 2 Pg. 105-6 (Mar 2013) ISSN: 2253-8070 [Electronic] Spain
• PMID: 22871539 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. and SEMNIM. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Radiopharmaceuticals
• Fluorodeoxyglucose F18

Topics

• Aged
• Breast (pathology)
• Breast Neoplasms (diagnosis)
• Diagnosis, Differential
• False Positive Reactions
• Fat Necrosis (diagnosis)
• Female
• Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
• Humans
• Multimodal Imaging
• Neoplasm Recurrence, Local (diagnosis)
• Positron-Emission Tomography
• Radiopharmaceuticals
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed