Malignant pheochromocytoma metastasis to the breast shown on I-123 MIBG scan

Clin Nucl Med. 2010 Oct;35(10):816-7. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0b013e3181ef0af1.

Abstract

A 36-year-old woman was referred to our department for I-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG)-SPECT/CT scan 3 years after surgical excision of pheochromocytoma. She was referred due to recurrence of her symptoms as well as raised urinary catecholamines. Review of I-123 MIBG scan revealed multiple MIBG-avid metastatic lesions. Most of these were bony lesions, however, there were also 2 soft tissue lesions in the left breast. She subsequently underwent ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of the left breast lesions. Fine-needle aspiration revealed cytologic changes consistent with pheochromocytoma. There has only been 1 previous reported case of pheochromocytoma metastasizing to the breast. This is the first case in which the metastasis was detected by I-123 MIBG scan.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • 3-Iodobenzylguanidine*
  • Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Adult
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Breast Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Pheochromocytoma / pathology*
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • 3-Iodobenzylguanidine