Asia Oceania Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Biology

Asia Oceania Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Biology

Prominent 18F-FDG Uptake in the Adrenal Gland after Contralateral Adrenalectomy in a Known Case of Adrenocortical Oncocytic Carcinoma

Document Type : Case report

Authors
Rakan M. Al-Rashdan
Mohammed Aljaberi
Ali Mohamedkhair
Akram Al-Ibraheem
Department of Nuclear Medicine, King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan
10.22038/aojnmb.2022.67950.1472
Abstract
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare type of cancer that is associated with a high rate of recurrence and poor prognosis. The main diagnostic approaches to adrenocortical cancer include CT scan, MRI and the promising role of 18F-FDG PET/CT. The main therapeutic approaches include radical surgery of local disease and recurrences, as well as adjuvant mitotane therapy.
The evaluation of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) could be difficult by using 18F-FDG PET/CT in view of the significant association between the 18F-FDG uptake and ACC. At the same time, not all adrenal glands with 18F-FDG uptake are considered to be malignant, so awareness of these various findings is substantial for ACC management, especially with limited data regarding the role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in ACC post-operative settings.
This report discusses the case of a 47-year-old man with a history of left adrenocortical carcinoma who underwent adrenalectomy and received adjuvant mitotane therapy. 9 months after the surgery, a follow-up 18F-FDG PET/CT scan showed that the 18F-FDG uptake was prominent in the right adrenal gland without corresponding abnormal CT scan findings.
Keywords
Adrenocortical carcinoma
18F-FDG PET/CT
Mitotane
Adrenalectomy
Subjects
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Asia Oceania Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Biology
Volume 11, Issue 2
July 2023
Pages 181-184