Frequency and Characteristics of Nodal and Deltoid FDG and ¹¹C-Choline Uptake on PET Performed After COVID-19 Vaccination

Interference of COVID-19 Vaccination With PET/CT Leads to Unnecessary Additional Imaging in a Patient With Metastatic Cutaneous Melanoma—Case Report

“…Interestingly, the sign of elevated 18 F-FDG accumulation does not occur in all vaccinated patients. In a recent study by Schroeder et al, the 18 F-FDG-positive axillary lymph nodes were found in four out of 54 patients subjected to COVID-19 vaccination performed at the median time of 10-13 days earlier (15). This observation may cause even more uncertainty of the PET/CT image interpretation.…”

FDG Uptakes at Unilateral Axillary and Supraclavicular Lymph Nodes and Deltoid Muscle on [18F] FDG PET/CT After COVID-19 Vaccination: A Potential Pitfall for Metastatic Lymph Nodes in Colon Cancer Patient

“…Vaccination can cause transient inflammation of LNs which demonstrates increased FDG avidity through macrophage accumulation (10). Indeed, vaccine-related increased metabolic activity at injection site, draining LNs, systemic inflammatory response at various sites in different patterns has been reported post-vaccination for COVID-19 vaccines (5)(6)(7)(8). According to Schroeder DG et al, positive axillary LN uptake was observed in approximately 10% of patients on FDG PET examinations and extraaxillary LN uptake was observed only in one patient (10).…”

“…Such dilemma can be critical for oncologic patients who might lose a chance of curative surgery due to false-positive FDG uptake at distant sites. Several case reports of lymphadenopathy post-COVID-19 vaccination have been published recently (5)(6)(7)(8). In this case report, we present the case of axillary and supraclavicular lymphadenopathies detected on FDG PET/CT during a staging work-up for rectosigmoid colon cancer.…”

“…Vaccinations and injections are known to cause diagnostic dilemma due to false-positive uptake locally on FDG PET/CT (4,5). Such dilemma can be critical for oncologic patients who might lose a chance of curative surgery due to false-positive FDG uptake at distant sites.…”

Effects of COVID-19 vaccination on FDG-PET/CT imaging: A literature review

“…Increased FDG uptake can also be observed in the spleen after COVID-19 vaccination (25); although not mentioned specifically by the author, this finding could be observed in several of the FDG-PET/CT images in that study. In addition to FDG imaging, specific PET uptake has also been observed in 68 Ga-DOTA-TATE, 11 Cand 18 F-choline imaging (30,36,37), but less frequently with 68 Ga-and 18 F-PSMA (41).…”