Non-necrotizing Granulomatous Pulmonary Vasculitis Mimicking Lung Cancer on PET/CT

Abstract

Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (¹⁸FDG-PET) scan has become a valuable resource in the staging of lung cancer. Inflammation is known to cause false positives on ¹⁸FDG-PET scan. In the absence of symptoms suggesting a diagnosis of an inflammatory condition, ¹⁸FDG-avid lung masses on PET/CT scan is strongly suggestive of a diagnosis of lung cancer, rather than an inflammatory condition. We report the case of a 57-year-old man, with a history of heavy smoking and working in the sandblasting industry, with two suspicious ¹⁸FDG-avid nodules in the left lung. Surgical specimens of these nodules revealed findings suspecting giant cell arteritis rather than malignancy.

Keywords

vasculitis - lung cancer - positron emission tomography

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