FDG PET/CT in the Detection of Pancreatic Metastasis in a Patient with Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma and Negative I-131 Whole Body Scan Findings

• Published in: Internal Medicine Vol. 53; no. 18; pp. 2095 - 2099
• Main Authors: Na, Hae Jung, Kim, Bo Hyun, Kim, Ji Ryang, Oh, Min Young, Kim, Sang Mi, Song, Byeong Gu, Shin, Dong Hun, Kim, Won Jin, Jeon, Yun Kyung, Kim, Sang Soo, Seo, Hyung Il, Kim, In Ju
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 01.01.2014
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma, Follicular - diagnosis; Adenocarcinoma, Follicular - secondary; Aged; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; follicular thyroid cancer; Humans; Iodine Radioisotopes; metastasis; pancreas; Pancreatic Neoplasms - diagnosis; Pancreatic Neoplasms - secondary; positron emission tomography (PET); Positron-Emission Tomography - methods; Thyroid Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Thyroid Neoplasms - pathology; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; Whole Body Imaging - methods
• ISSN: 0918-2918; 1349-7235
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.53.2427

We identified a rare follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) metastasis to the pancreas in a patient of FTC. A 65-year-old woman presented at our hospital for evaluation of a pancreatic mass. She had a history of FTC. After total thyroidectomy, I-131 whole body scan showed increased I-131 uptake in the thyroid bed, but there was no evidence of distant metastasis. However, F-18 FDG PET/CT showed a mass with FDG uptake in the pancreatic head. Follow-up PET/CT showed FDG uptake in the pancreatic head and thyroid bed. Pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed. Histopathological examination supported the diagnosis of metastatic FTC to pancreas.