18FDG PET/CT in pulmonary carcinosarcoma and brain metastasis

• Main Authors: Hamideh Abbasian, Ramin Sadeghi, Farshad Emami, Vahidreza Dabbagh Kakhki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Mashhad University of Medical Sciences 2019-06-01
• Series: Asia Oceania Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Biology
• Subjects: Carcinosarcoma; FDG PET; Lung cancer; Brain metastasis
• Online Access: http://aojnmb.mums.ac.ir/article_13360_9fbe744a580d2ad533556be4571b8d5a.pdf

Carcinosarcoma is a rare type of cancer that is composed of a mixture of sarcomatous and carcinomatous elements. Pulmonary carcinosarcoma has a 25% five-year survival rate with a prognosis poorer than other non-small cell lung carcinomas. Herein, we report a case of pulmonary carcinosarcoma and its 18F-FDG PET/CT findings. A 61-year-old male patient presented with brain symptoms, including headache, nausea, right hemiplegia, and few attacks of seizures. He underwent brain computed tomography (CT) scan showing a brain lesion in the left parietal lobe. The patient underwent excisional biopsy, and brain lesion was removed. The results of tissue sampling were indicative of carcinosarcoma. Based on anatomical imaging and evidence of pulmonary lesion, the patient underwent 18FDG PET/CT that revealed a heterogeneous mass on the upper lobe of the left lung. An intense FDG uptake was observed along the rim of the mass; however, no FDG uptake was observed in the center of the mass. There were multiple mediastinal lymph nodes with a high FDG uptake. Pulmonary carcinosarcoma was confirmed by tissue sampling.