A CASE OF METASTATIC MALIGNANCY MASQUERADING AS A HEPATIC HEMANGIOMA ON LABELED RED-BLOOD-CELL SCINTIGRAPHY

A 36-yr-old woman with a past history of gastric neuro-endocrine carci noma (carcinoid tumor) underwent Tc-99m-red blood cell (RBC) scintigra phy for evaluation of a 2-cm echogenic liver mass demonstrated on ultr asound. Scan findings were typical of a cavernous hemangioma. On follo w-up, however, there was progressive lesion enlargement; histopatholog y of the resected mass revealed neuro-endocrine carcinoma. This case r eport, one of the few examples of a false-positive Tc-99m-RBC scan, hi ghlights the need for cautious evaluation of focal liver masses, even when there are typical scintigraphic features of cavernous hemangioma.