Bacillus Calmette-Guerin Injections for Melanoma Immunotherapy: Potential for a False-Positive PET/CT. (April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sogge, Steven M.; Fotos, Joseph S.; Tulchinsky, Mark
• Is Part Of: Clinical nuclear medicine. Volume 40:Number 4(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-04
• Subjects: melanoma -- BCG -- PET/CT; Nuclear medicine -- Periodicals; Radioisotope scanning -- Periodicals; Nuclear Medicine -- Periodicals; 616.07575
• DOI: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000000718
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0363-9762

Abstract

Abstract : Abstract: An 82-year-old woman presented for routine follow-up PET/CT after undergoing local melanoma resection in the left lower leg, isolated limb infusion chemotherapy, and immunomodulation therapy with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine. Symmetric, bilateral, moderately intense FDG avid axillary and inguinal cutaneous nodules were observed that were new from the prior PET-CT. The patient had developed skin lesions at the BCG injection sites several months before the study. The case raises awareness to PET/CT appearance of local inflammatory response to BCG injection, which could be mistaken by an unaware reader for recurrent melanoma.