Differentiation of sarcoidosis-lymphoma syndrome lesions: a case report on the use of two different positron emission tomography tracers

BACKGROUND: Sarcoidosis–lymphoma syndrome (SLS) is a rare disease in which both entities coexist. We aimed to study the role of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and L–[3-(18)F] α-methyltyrosine (FAMT) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) in differentiating between these two lesions. CASE PRESENTATION: A 54-year-old female with large liver tumors was referred to our Nuclear Medicine Department for staging using FDG PET/CT. She had a history of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) for 15 years and developed lung and mediastinal sarcoidosis 1 year before the liver tumors were noted. Abdominal dynamic CT revealed two well-circumscribed, peripherally-enhancing, low-density masses in the right lobe of the liver with intensive ring-form FDG uptakes at maximum standard uptake values (SUVmax) of 18.3 and 19.5, respectively. In the arterial phase, a hepatic artery was seen penetrating the tumor, a phenomenon known as “angiogram sign”. Chest PET/CT findings showed irregular thickening of the bronchovascular bundles, central peribronchial shaggy consolidations in the right middle and lower lobes (SUVmax, 4.6), and mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathies (SUVmax, 2.7). After assessment, chemotherapy with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride, vincristine sulfate, and prednisone (R–CHOP) was administered for eight cycles. Follow-up imaging studies using FDG and FAMT PET/CT were performed 3 months after the last cycle of chemotherapy, which showed that the two highly FDG-avid tumors in the liver had disappeared. However, faint FDG uptake persisted in the lung consolidations (SUVmax, 6.3), and FDG uptake for the mediastinal lymphadenopathies increased (SUVmax of 5.8). In contrast, there was no significant uptake of FAMT in the liver, as well as in the lungs and the bilateral mediastinal lymphadenopathies. These discrepant uptakes between FDG and FAMT were compatible with sarcoidosis. CONCLUSION: Combination of FDG and FAMT in PET/CT studies may play an important role in the management of SLS patients, especially in differentiating between sarcoidosis and lymphoma lesions.