Left atrial myxoma on FDG-PET/CT

Clin Nucl Med. 2013 Nov;38(11):e421-2. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0b013e31827086a3.

Abstract

A 56-year-old woman with rheumatoid factor-positive rheumatoid arthritis underwent FDG-PET/CT because of fatigue, fever, coughing, and weight loss for several months. FDG-PET/CT solely revealed a mildly hypermetabolic hypodense area in the left atrium. Subsequently, transthoracic echocardiography and contrast-enhanced MRI showed a left atrial pedunculated soft tissue mass suggestive for myxoma, with histological confirmation. Myocardial involvement by tumors is rare, and FDG-PET/CT has been very useful for identifying cardiac metastases. However, very few cases have been reported using FDG-PET/CT for detecting primary cardiac tumors, but as shown here, abnormal focal myocardial uptake should trigger further morphological assessment.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Arthritis, Rheumatoid / diagnostic imaging
  • Female
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18*
  • Heart Atria / diagnostic imaging*
  • Heart Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Myxoma / diagnostic imaging*
  • Positron-Emission Tomography*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

Substances

  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18