False-positive somatostatin receptor scintigraphy due to an accessory spleen

J Nucl Med. 1997 Dec;38(12):1979-81.

Abstract

A patient with previous left caudal pancreatectomy and splenectomy presented with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Abdominal CT and endoscopic ultrasonography revealed a mass in the splenic area. Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy showed a nodular increase of the uptake corresponding to the lesion detected with conventional imaging. A second laparotomy was performed and the mass was resected. Histological analysis showed that the nodular lesion was an accessory spleen. Since physiologic uptake of 111In-pentetreotide is seen in the spleen, an accessory spleen mimicking a tumor, specially after previous splenectomy, may result in false-positive somatostatin receptor scintigraphy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • False Positive Reactions
  • Humans
  • Indium Radioisotopes*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Radionuclide Imaging
  • Receptors, Somatostatin / analysis*
  • Somatostatin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Spleen / abnormalities*
  • Spleen / diagnostic imaging
  • Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome / diagnostic imaging*

Substances

  • Indium Radioisotopes
  • Receptors, Somatostatin
  • Somatostatin
  • pentetreotide