Vaccination-induced inflammatory accumulation of axillary lymph nodes detected by FDG-PET in a breast cancer patient

Author Info

Akiyo Yoshimura Ayumi Kataoka Haruru Kotani Hiroji Iwata Junko Ishigro Kayoko Sugino Madoka Iwase Masataka Sawaki Masaya Hattori Naomi Gondo Sakura Ohnishi

Corresponding Author

Ayumi Kataoka
Department of Breast oncology, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Japan

A B S T R A C T

Evaluation of axilla lymph node metastasis is very important in determining the treatment strategy for primary breast cancer. The imaging method 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) provides reliable information about metastasis, however it has limitations. A 40-year-old female first noticed a mass in her left breast. Ultrasonography (US) showed an uncircumscribed mass measuring 1.5 cm beneath the nipple in her left breast, and swelling axilla lymph node as metastasis. Primary tumor and 4 axilla lymph nodes were detected as hot spot by FDG-PET. However, we got new information which she received influenza vaccination 4 days before she had undergone FDG-PET before determining the strategy with patient. To decide the plan of treatment, it was necessary to have the reliable imaging result, therefore, we performed the second FDG-PET 25 days after the influenza vaccination. We report a case showing false-positive of axillary lymph nodes by FDG-PET caused by influenza vaccination. Influenza vaccination before FDG-PET examination may cause axillary lymph node accumulations, especially within several days after vaccination.

Article Info

Article Type

Case Report

Publication history

Received: Fri 07, Sep 2018
Accepted: Thu 20, Sep 2018
Published: Wed 31, Oct 2018

Copyright

© 2023 Ayumi Kataoka. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Hosting by Science Repository.
DOI: 10.31487/j.SCR.2018.03.006