Brown adipose tissue (BAT) uptake of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) poses a significant challenge to positron emission tomography interpretation. BAT is not only localized to the supraclavicular areas, but is also seen in the neck, mediastinum, axillae, costovertebral junctions, and retrocrural and periadrenal regions. We illustrate a case of typical supraclavicular BAT uptake in association with a discrete right adrenal region focus. On repeat study after diazepam administration, both the supraclavicular and periadrenal uptake were abolished. BAT uptake is an important cause of false-positives; when typical supraclavicular BAT uptake is seen, abnormalities in other areas of BAT distribution should be viewed with caution.
Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is the most frequent mesenchymal malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract. Liver and peritoneum are the most frequent metastatic sites. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment in patients with localized disease. Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec; Novartis Pharmaceuticals, East Hanover, NJ), an inhibitor of tyrosine kinase activity of KIT receptor, has been shown to be an effective treatment in metastatic or unresectable disease. Follow-up of patients treated with Gleevec is controversial. The authors present a case of GIST that showed near-total response with Gleevec on fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography. They suggest positron emission tomography as a useful imaging modality for the monitoring of therapy response in GIST tumors treated with Gleevec.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.