Melanoma

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            54 year old male with clinical history of right lower eyelid melanoma confirmed by biopsy and treated surgically. Abdominal echography depicted right kidney stone only. Chest X-ray was normal. PET FDG:  Dose of 15 mCi, injected with blood glucose level of 87 mg /dl. The scan showed multiple foci of intense FDG uptake in the right lateral cervical region from the ear region down to the supraclavicular area, of various sizes, some of them confluent (arrow) and consistent with marked FDG hypermetabolism in right lateral cervical lymph node chains and malignant dissemination.  No abnormal activity was seen in the right eye.

            Melanoma is one the malignant tumors with the highest glucose metabolism. Therefore, FDG PET is very sensitive, though less specific. 
 

References:

1  Macapinlac HA. FDG PET and PET/CT imaging in lymphoma and melanoma. Cancer J. 2004 Jul-Aug;10(4):262-70.
2  Rohren EM, Turkington TG, Coleman RE. Clinical applications of PET in oncology. Radiology. 2004 May;231(2):305-32.

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