F-18FDG uptake in a bone infarct - A case report

Purpose: The authors describe a patient with F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake resulting from a bone infarct of a rib. Materials and Methods: A 52-year-old woman with a history of left breast ca ncer and total mastectomy 5 years earlier was examined for pain in her left : rib cage in the past 2 weeks. A bone scan showed diffusely increased upta ke in the left fifth rib, possibly suggestive of a metastasis, An FDG posit ron emission tomographic (PEI) scan was performed to rule out metastatic di sease. Results: The FDG PET images showed two focal areas of increased uptake in t he fifth and sixth left ribs, consistent with bone metastases, The patient underwent excision of a long segment of her left fifth rib and the patholog ical findings were consistent with bone infarct, without definite signs of metastatic disease. Conclusion: Bone infarct can take up FDG, probably as a result of an inflam matory process.