FDG PET/CT in Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor of the Lumbar Facet Joint

Abstract

Tenosynovial giant cell tumor rarely affects the facet joints of the spine. We describe FDG PET/CT findings in a case of tenosynovial giant cell tumor arising from the left L2 to L3 facet joint. The tumor caused osteolytic bone destruction of the facet joint and showed intense FDG uptake with SUV max of 10.4. This case indicates tenosynovial giant cell tumor should be included in the differential diagnosis of abnormal facet joint FDG accumulation.

Primary Angiosarcoma of Lumbar Pedicle and Transverse Process Revealed by FDG PET/CT

“…This patient in our case had solitary osteolytic bone destruction in the vertebral pedicle and transverse process with intense FDG uptake. Similar image appearance should consider the possibility of osteoid osteoma, 6 osteoblastoma, 7 aneurysmal bone cysts, 8 giant cell tumor, 9 chondroblastoma, 10 and bone metastasis 11 . This case added the knowledge of another rare occurrence site of primary angiosarcoma of bone, which should be considered as a differential diagnosis when we meet a solitary lytic osseous lesion in the lumbar pedicle and transverse process with intense FDG uptake 12 …”

Diffuse-type tenosynovial giant cell tumor between the suboccipital bone and posterior C1 arch: illustrative case

“… 19 PET/CT imaging showed a high FDG SUV of 4.5 in a TGCT of the T9 and T10 vertebrae and vertebral appendices. 20 Similarly, a TGCT of the L2–3 left facet joint showed an SUV of 10.4, 19 suggesting that spinal lesions found to be hypermetabolic should be considered as possible TGCTs. Sonography of the diffuse-type TGCT tends to show heterogeneous echogenic masses, and accompanying pathological features can include joint effusion, thickened synovium, and underlying bone erosion, 17 , 21 although these characteristics are nonspecific.…”