Positive 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography 20 Years after Talc Pleurodesis

Supriya A. Bhupathy; Tung V. Huynh

doi:10.1055/s-0042-1750394

World Journal of Nuclear Medicine, Table of Contents

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · World J Nucl Med 2022; 21(04): 325-328
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1750394

Case Report

Positive ¹⁸F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography 20 Years after Talc Pleurodesis

Supriya A. Bhupathy

¹Department of Medical Education, California University of Science and Medicine, Colton, California, United States

,

Tung V. Huynh

²Department of Medical Imaging, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Colton, California, United States

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Talc pleurodesis, a frequently performed procedure for refractory pneumothorax or pleural effusion, induces chronic granulomatous inflammation. It can present years later with pleural thickening and markedly increased uptake on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), mimicking the presentation of malignancies. We present the case of a 63-year-old female with positive ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT 20 years after talc pleurodesis. Malignancy such as mesothelioma could not initially be ruled out. CT-guided biopsy confirmed an extensive foreign-body giant-cell reaction consistent with talc-related inflammatory change. This case highlights the need for the consideration of talcoma in the differential diagnosis of patients who undergo talc pleurodesis, and is unique in the significant timespan of 20 years between pleurodesis and positive imaging findings.

Keywords

positron emission tomography - computed tomography - ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose - talc pleurodesis - pneumothorax

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References

References
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