Unilateral vocal cord paralysis causes contralateral false-positive positron emission tomography scans of the larynx.

Positron emission tomography (PET) is used in the management of head and neck cancers. It identifies tissue with increased metabolic activity and is not specific for malignancy. A false-positive PET scan of the larynx is associated with vocal cord paralysis.

FDG uptake in brown adipose tissue mimicking an adrenal metastasis: source of false-positive interpretation.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) uptake of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) poses a significant challenge to positron emission tomography interpretation. BAT is not only localized to the supraclavicular areas, but is also seen in the neck, mediastinum, axillae, costovertebral junctions, and retrocrural and periadrenal regions. We illustrate a case of typical supraclavicular BAT uptake in association with a discrete right adrenal region focus.

Detection of recurrent cervical cancer by whole-body FDG PET scan in asymptomatic and symptomatic women.

Objective: To determine the ability of whole-body [(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) scan to detect recurrent cervical carcinoma in both symptomatic and asymptomatic women.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 44 women previously treated for cervical cancer who underwent 47 posttreatment whole-body FDG PET scans in an attempt to detect recurrent disease. Twenty-six scans were performed in asymptomatic women, whereas 21 scans were performed in women with symptoms suggestive of recurrence.