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BRAF inhibitor-induced panniculitis in patients treated for stage IV metastatic melanoma: a case series

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Abstract

BRAF and MEK inhibitor combination therapy is the standard treatment for patients with BRAF V600E mutant metastatic melanoma. Neutrophilic panniculitis is a known rare complication of BRAF inhibitor therapy and can act as a potential mimic of melanoma metastases on 18F-FDG PET/CT. In this case series, we present three cases of BRAF inhibitor-induced panniculitis in patients being treated for BRAF-mutant metastatic melanoma and emphasize the use of ultrasound to differentiate between panniculitis lesions, which are typically ill-defined echogenic masses and subcutaneous soft tissue melanoma metastases, which present as hypoechoic vascular masses.

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Abbreviations

US:

ultrasound

CT:

computed tomography

PET:

positron emission tomography

FDG:

fluorodeoxyglucose

MLO:

mediolateral oblique

OSEM:

ordered subsets expectation-maximization

BMD:

bone mineral density

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA

    David J. Bartlett, Andrew J. Erie, Francis I. Baffour, Stephen M. Broski & Katrina N. Glazebrook

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  1. David J. Bartlett
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  2. Andrew J. Erie
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  3. Francis I. Baffour
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  4. Stephen M. Broski
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  5. Katrina N. Glazebrook
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Correspondence to Katrina N. Glazebrook.

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Bartlett, D.J., Erie, A.J., Baffour, F.I. et al. BRAF inhibitor-induced panniculitis in patients treated for stage IV metastatic melanoma: a case series. Skeletal Radiol 50, 1257–1262 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-020-03665-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-020-03665-9

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