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Skeletal muscle metastases: a three-part study of a not-so-rare entity

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Abstract

Objective

Our purposes were to explore the epidemiology of metastases to skeletal muscle and their detection on fused positron emission tomography and computed tomography.

Materials and methods

We evaluated the epidemiology of skeletal muscle metastases in the literature and among cases from our hospital and studied the prevalence and appearance of skeletal muscle metastases among 433 patients undergoing fused positron emission tomography and computed tomography for non-small-cell lung cancer.

Results

We found 264 cases of skeletal muscle metastases in 151 articles. Mean age was 57.8 years with 67% men. At our hospital we studied 70 cases. Mean patient age was 55.7 years with 63% men. The most common source was lung cancer, and the most common site of involvement was the muscles of the trunk. Among our lung cancer patients undergoing fused positron emission tomography and computed tomography, we found 7 (1.6%) with skeletal muscle metastases. In only one of these seven patients was the metastasis first discovered by another imaging modality. In one patient discovery of the metastasis at fused positron emission tomography and computed tomography changed management.

Conclusion

Skeletal muscle metastases are not rare. They may be more apparent at fused positron emission tomography and computed tomography than at other staging examinations, particularly contrast-enhanced CT scanning. Radiologists need to be alert to their presence when interpreting staging examinations in cancer patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 1475, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030-4009, USA

    Tamara Miner Haygood, Colleen M. Costelloe, Rajendra Kumar & John E. Madewell

  2. School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Jason Wong

  3. 3611 Eastfield Road, Carmel, CA, 93923, USA

    Jennifer Cha Lin

  4. 1005 Skylark Drive, Denton, TX, 76205, USA

    Sylvia Li

  5. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 1473, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030-4009, USA

    Aurelio Matamoros & Carl M. Sandler

  6. Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET, Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, Happy Valley, Hong Kong

    Henry Yeung

  7. C/Embajadores 183C (Escalera 1), Piso 5C, 28045, Madrid, Spain

    Rodolfo F. Nunez

Authors
  1. Tamara Miner Haygood
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  2. Jason Wong
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  3. Jennifer Cha Lin
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  4. Sylvia Li
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  5. Aurelio Matamoros
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  6. Colleen M. Costelloe
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  7. Henry Yeung
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  8. Carl M. Sandler
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  9. Rodolfo F. Nunez
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  10. Rajendra Kumar
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  11. John E. Madewell
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tamara Miner Haygood.

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Haygood, T.M., Wong, J., Lin, J.C. et al. Skeletal muscle metastases: a three-part study of a not-so-rare entity. Skeletal Radiol 41, 899–909 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-011-1319-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-011-1319-8

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