The 18-FDG PET-scan is today used to monitor patients operated for non small-cell lung cancer. The presence of an intrathoracic gossypiboma (or textiloma) can be responsible for intense enhancement in a PET-scan because of inflammatory phenomenon. The authors report the case of a patient who underwent surgery for lung cancer nine years ago, where a newly discovered intrathoracic mass with intensive enhancement on PET-scan, led to concern about a local recurrence in spite of the fine-needle transthoracic biopsy identifying textile fibers in the histological examination.
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