This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): John Alfred Carr Jeffrey M. Silver Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Carr, J. A. Articles by Silver, J. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Carr, J. A. Articles by Silver, J. M. Related Collections Lung - cancer Lung - other

The false assumption of lung cancer based upon a positive positron emission tomographic scan

Northern Illinois Cardiovascular & Thoracic Specialists, 1100 West Central Road, Suite 408, Arlington Heights, IL 60005, USA

*Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 (847) 788-1553; fax: +1 (847) 788-1585.

E-mail address: heartandbones{at}yahoo.com (J.A. Carr).

Objective: To show that positron emission tomography (PET) can have false positive results from inflammatory lesions. Methods: We present a complicated, elderly patient who underwent an extensive work-up that failed to provide a diagnosis for a radiographic abnormality. Results: A PET scan was positive and the patient was believed to have lung carcinoma until eventual surgical excision was performed. Final pathology revealed that the patient had exogenous lipoid pneumonia. Conclusions: PET scans that are positive cannot be assumed to show a malignancy. Inflammatory lesions will also be positive with PET scanning.

Key Words: Lipoid pneumonia; PET scan; Inflammatory lesion