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Intense ¹⁸F-Flourodeoxyglucose Uptake in Brachial Plexus of Patients with Brachial Plexopathy

10.4274/mirt.galenos.2019.40469

• Çiğdem Soydal
• Pınar Akkuş
• Mine Araz
• Güngör Utkan

Received Date: 01.10.2018 Accepted Date: 13.02.2019 Mol Imaging Radionucl Ther 2020;29(2):79-81 PMID: 32368879

• Abstract
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Brachial plexopathy is a significant cause of pain and disability in patients with breast cancer. Major causes of brachial plexopathy in patients with breast cancer are metastatic invasion or radiation damage to the plexus. Differentiation between the two pathologies is important for appropriate treatment planning. The complicated anatomy of the plexus makes this a difficult area to image accurately. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the imaging modality of choice for diagnostic evaluation of these cases. We presented a case to demonstrate the role of ¹⁸F-flourodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computerized tomography for confirming metastatic brachial plexopathy when MRI findings were suspicious and for differentiating radiation-induced brachial plexopathy from metastatic plexopathy.

Keywords: Brachial plexopathy, metastatic breast cancer, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography

Ethics

Informed Consent: Consent form was filled out by all participants.

Peer-review: Externally and internally peer-reviewed.

Authorship Contributions

Surgical and Medical Practices: Ç.S., G.U., Concept: Ç.S., M.A., Design: Ç.S., M.A., P.A., Data Collection or Processing: Ç.S., P.A., G.U., Analysis or Interpretation: Ç.S., P.A., Literature Search: P.A., M.A., Writing: Ç.S., P.A.

Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.

Financial Disclosure: The authors declared that this study received no financial support.

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