Incidental focal uptake in the breast and axilla on FDG PET: Clinical considerations and differential diagnosis

Andrea L Magee; Brittany Z Dashevsky; Kayleen Jahangir; Kirti Kulkarni

doi:10.1016/j.clinimag.2017.06.001

Incidental focal uptake in the breast and axilla on FDG PET: Clinical considerations and differential diagnosis

Clin Imaging. 2017 Sep-Oct:45:96-104. doi: 10.1016/j.clinimag.2017.06.001. Epub 2017 Jun 15.

Authors

Andrea L Magee¹, Brittany Z Dashevsky², Kayleen Jahangir², Kirti Kulkarni²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, The University of Chicago Medical Center, United States. Electronic address: andrea.magee@uchospitals.edu.
² Department of Radiology, The University of Chicago Medical Center, United States.

PMID: 28645096
DOI: 10.1016/j.clinimag.2017.06.001

Abstract

Incidental focal FDG uptake in the breast or axilla on PET/CT performed for evaluation of extra-mammary primary disease presents a diagnostic challenge. Radiologists must consider a broad differential diagnosis, assess clinical history, and judiciously employ other imaging modalities such as mammography, ultrasound and MRI in the pursuit of findings which help narrow the differential diagnosis. Tissue sampling may be reserved for nondiagnostic imaging scenarios.

Keywords: Breast pathology; Computed tomography; Primary breast cancer; computed tomography (PET.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Axilla / diagnostic imaging*
Breast / diagnostic imaging*
Breast Diseases / diagnosis*
Diagnosis, Differential
Female
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / pharmacology*
Humans
Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography / methods*
Radiopharmaceuticals / pharmacology

Substances

Radiopharmaceuticals
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18