Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy: FDG-PET/CT findings

Clin Nucl Med. 2009 Mar;34(3):175-7. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0b013e3181966f5c.

Abstract

Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM) is histopathologically characterized by proliferation of intimal myofibroblasts in the small pulmonary arterioles, induced by tumor microemboli. Patients develop rapidly progressive and severe cardiopulmonary failure, and the clinical course of this disease is fatal. Conventional radiologic findings are often minimal or nonspecific, making diagnosis difficult before death. We report 2-(F-18)-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) images of PTTM, which illustrate the characteristic findings of this clinical entity. FDG-PET can be helpful for the diagnosis of PTTM.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Female
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18*
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / blood supply*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Middle Aged
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Pulmonary Artery / diagnostic imaging
  • Pulmonary Artery / pathology*
  • Thrombosis / physiopathology*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18