A case of hepatic focal nodular hyperplasia mimicking hepatocellular carcinoma identified on gallium-68-prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computed tomography

• Main Authors: Seckin Bilgic, Haluk Burçak Sayman, Muhammet Sait Sager, Kerim Sonmezoglu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2021-01-01
• Series: World Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• Subjects: focal nodular hyperplasia; gallium-68-prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computed tomography; hepatocellular cancer; liver; metastasis; pitfall; prostate cancer
• Online Access: http://www.wjnm.org/article.asp?issn=1450-1147;year=2021;volume=20;issue=2;spage=192;epage=194;aulast=

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a glycosylated type-II transmembrane protein highly expressed in individual tumor cells. Lesions with PSMA expression in the liver are commonly reported as prostate cancer metastasis or hepatocellular cancer previously. This is the first case reported as hepatic focal nodular hyperplasia, mimicking hepatocellular carcinoma with imaging features. This patient, having a lesion that has been enlarged from 2.0 cm to 2.5 cm in 3 months, was referred to our department for restaging by gallium-68 PSMA (68Ga-PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). The CT scan showed a focal segment VI hypodensity, which was significantly PSMA-avid. Consequently, its biopsy resulted as focal nodular hyperplasia in liver. His follow-up 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT ultimately revealed a mass lesion of 8 cm of axial diameter.