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Increased 18F-FDG uptake mimicking thyroid cancer in a patient with Hashimoto's thyroiditis

  • Nuclear Medicine
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Abstract.

We report the case of a 68-year-old patient with a known paravertebral malignant schwannoma, sent to us for postoperative staging. A combined whole-body PET/CT scan showed only poor 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the region of the primary tumor but distinct increased fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the left and right thyroid gland. Thyroid sonography showed two hypoechogenic nodules. Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy of one nodule showed oxyphil transformed cells, compatible with malignancy. Based on these findings, the patient underwent a subtotal thyroidectomy. Histopathology of the specimen revealed a chronic follicular Hashimoto's thyroiditis. This case demonstrates that Hashimoto's thyroiditis can mimic thyroid cancer in PET but also in sonography and fine-needle aspiration biopsy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland, Switzerland

    Daniel T. Schmid, Stefan Kneifel, Griff Merrill & Gerhard W. Goerres

  2. Clinic of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland, Switzerland

    Sandro J. Stoeckli

  3. Department of Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland, Switzerland

    Barbara-C. Padberg

Authors
  1. Daniel T. Schmid
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  2. Stefan Kneifel
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  3. Sandro J. Stoeckli
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  4. Barbara-C. Padberg
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  5. Griff Merrill
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  6. Gerhard W. Goerres
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniel T. Schmid.

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Schmid, D.T., Kneifel, S., Stoeckli, S.J. et al. Increased 18F-FDG uptake mimicking thyroid cancer in a patient with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Eur Radiol 13, 2119–2121 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-002-1619-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-002-1619-4

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