Metastatic bilateral adrenal sarcomatoid carcinoma: Evaluation by 18F-FDG PET/CT.

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the adrenal gland is an uncommon presentation of malignant adrenal tumors and bilateral presentation is extremely rare. It is an extremely rare occurrence, unusual symptoms, and both epithelioid and sarcomatoid components in histology are a challenge to diagnose sarcomatoid carcinoma of adrenal origin. The majority of patients are diagnosed at a later stage while having metastatic disease and succumb due to disease within a few months of diagnosis due to the aggressive nature of the disease. Probably due to the advanced disease at the time of diagnosis; patients diagnosed having adrenal sarcomatoid tumor have a very poor prognosis. In nonmetastatic disease, adjuvant chemotherapy is suggested after the removal of the tumor. It is essential to diagnose these tumors earliest to treat with effective treatment modalities. The present study describes the rare case of sarcomatoid carcinoma involving the bilateral adrenal gland with metastasis to bones, lymph nodes, and pleura evaluated by 18F-FDG PET/CT.

Fluorodeoxyglucose PET/Computed Tomography in Evaluation of Prosthetic Joints and Diabetic Foot: A Comparative Perspective with Other Functional Imaging Modalities.

Infection imaging has been an important part of nuclear medicine practice. Infections in prosthetic joints and diabetic foot are associated with devastating complications, posing substantial challenge for both diagnosis and overall management. For many years, conventional nuclear medicine techniques have been used to frame a painful joint arthroplasty or diabetic foot infection. The various functional nuclear imaging modalities used include labeled leukocyte imaging, combined leukocyte-marrow scintigraphy, antigranulocyte antibody scintigraphy, 3-phase bone scintigraphy, and fluorodeoxyglucose PET/computed tomography, yet no single method has proved to be highly sensitive and specific and at the same time safe, simple, and time-effective.

18F-FDG PET/CT in the Evaluation of Solitary Extramedullary Plasmacytoma: A Case Series.

The role of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and other plasma cell disorders is well-known. Solitary plasmacytoma (SP), an extremely rare form within this entity accounting for approximately 4% of plasma cell malignancies, can be classified as solitary bone plasmacytoma (SBP) or solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma (SEMP). Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) is a rare neoplasm characterized by the monoclonal proliferation of plasma cells outside the bone marrow. Breast and craniocerebral regions are the uncommon sites of the presentations of EMP, rarely reported in the literature. The most frequent site of presentation is the upper airways. The EMPs have similar pathogenesis as MM; however, they differ in management as they are radiosensitive in nature, and radiotherapy is the preferred treatment modality. As SEMP has a better prognosis than SPB with a lower conversion rate to MM, accurate staging is essential to plan for the treatment. The 18F-FDG PET/CT has higher sensitivity for the evaluation of treatment response. In the present case series, it was aimed to depict the role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in newly diagnosed SEMP with different sites of origin to exclude further lesions leading to changes in the treatment plan and treatment response assessment.

Late Manifestation of Struma Peritonei and Widespread Functioning Lesions in the Setting of Struma Ovarii Simulating Highly Differentiated Follicular Carcinoma.

Malignant transformation of struma ovarii is a rare event observed in about 5% of cases. We present here an unusual case that closely simulated highly differentiated follicular carcinoma, an entity with a relatively similar appearance to malignant struma ovarii. In our case, peritoneal and systemic dissemination occurred 18 y after excision of struma ovarii, which had been reported as histopathologically benign. There were 3 noteworthy features in the case: the highly functioning nature of the lesions (evidenced by a low level of thyroid-stimulating hormone even without thyroxine suppression); the low to minimal (18)F-FDG avidity of the foci, which reiterates the well-differentiated nature of these lesions, as expected in highly differentiated follicular carcinoma; and prominent involvement of rare sites such as spleen and liver, in addition to usual sites such as lungs, peritoneum, and bilateral adnexae.

[¹³¹I]Metaiodobenzylguanidine therapy in neural crest tumors: varying outcome in different histopathologies.

AIM: To evaluate the response of [¹³¹I] metaiodobenzylguanidine ([¹³¹I]MIBG) therapy in patients with neuroectodermal tumors and to assess their quality of life using the functional assessment of cancer therapy - general quality-of-life questionnaire for patients who are on follow-up after MIBG therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two patients diagnosed with various subtypes of neuroectodermal tumors and treated with [¹³¹I]MIBG were included in this retrospective analysis. Response to therapy was evaluated objectively by comparing pretherapy and posttherapy biochemical markers, radiological investigations, and follow-up MIBG scans. Symptomatic response and quality of life were also evaluated in the follow-up visits. RESULTS: In seven patients with stage III neuroblastoma, an objective response rate was seen in 57% and a symptomatic response rate was seen in 29% of the patients. Among 11 patients with stage IV neuroblastoma, an objective response was observed in 36% and a symptomatic response in 36% of the patients. Among 12 patients with pheochomocytoma and paraganglioma, an objective response was noticed in 8%, but symptomatic improvement and stabilization of disease were seen in 75% of the patients belonging to this category. One patient with medullary carcinoma of the thyroid and one patient with mediastinal carcinoid did not show an objective response but had a stable disease; both patients showed symptomatic improvement. Quality of life has improved in all 11 patients who are still on follow-up. CONCLUSION: [¹³¹I]MIBG therapy can be of significant value in the treatment of patients with chemotherapy-resistant stage III and IV neuroblastomas who demonstrate good tracer uptake in diagnostic scans. MIBG therapy has the potential to stabilize the disease and provide symptomatic improvement in patients with metastatic/recurrent pheochomocytoma/paraganglioma and medullary carcinoma thyroid and carcinoid in which there is evidence of tracer accumulation in the tumor. Both single high dose or multiple fractionated doses are equally effective in improving the quality of life in metastatic/recurrent pheochomocytoma/paraganglioma.