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Occipital condyle syndrome is a rare cause of pain in the head which is characterized by severe and persistent unilateral suboccipital headache with unilateral hypoglossal nerve palsy. We report an elderly female who presented with dysarthria and suboccipital headache. On further evaluation, she was found to have a solitary bone metastases from thyroid cancer. She was treated with local radiation therapy for pain relief, total thyroidectomy, and high-dose radioiodine therapy. The patient is presently free of pain with very good control of the thyroid cancer status.

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Metastases to cervical lymph node are fairly common in differentiated thyroid cancer. In iodine-refractory disease, the disease may persist in the thyroid bed, cervical lymph nodes, lungs, or the bones commonly. Retropharyngeal lymph nodal involvement in thyroid cancer is unusual and may even be the presenting complaint. We represent a case of iodine-refractory thyroid cancer with retropharyngeal lymph nodal involvement in addition to lung metastases.

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Uterine carcinosarcomas, also known as malignant mixed mullerian tumors, are one of the rare and most aggressive neoplasms of the uterus. They have an aggressive course and can spread to distant organs. Owing to the low incidence of these tumors, the optimal adjuvant management after surgery is not well established. Many patients develop distant metastases during follow-up. An interesting case of uterine carcinosarcoma who developed metastases to the femur, tibia, and calcaneum during follow is presented.

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Pancreatic incidentalomas are increasingly recognized entities that occur as a fallout of widespread availability of high definition imaging technology. These lesions offer diagnostic dilemmas to both clinicians and radiologists alike. Nevertheless, it is the advancement in diagnostic radiology that comes to the rescue in the management of these not-so-uncommon lesions.

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Natural killer/T-cell (NK/T-cell) lymphoma is a rare condition, which presents as necrotic, granulomatous lesions involving the nose and the upper respiratory tract. The condition usually has an aggressive clinical course. The predominant subtype of NK/T-cell lymphoma noted in Asian population is the nasal type. We describe a case of biopsy-proven NK/T-cell lymphoma with bilateral adrenal involvement. Adrenal involvement by lymphoma is usually of B-cell type and occurs in disseminated disease and often unilateral. Bilateral adrenal involvement by T-cell lymphoma is extremely rare.

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Primary pleural sarcomas constitute <1% of all primary lung cancers. Synovial sarcomas of the pleura are extremely rare. They may be mistaken for malignant mesothelioma or other spindle cell tumors, but the confirmation is by histology and immunohistochemistry. Synovial sarcomas are aggressive with a high incidence of recurrence. In this case report, we present the 18-fluoride-fluoro deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography-computerized tomography (PET-CT) findings of patient with primary pleural synovial cell sarcoma. The pretreatment and postchemotherapy FDG PET-CT scans are presented. The role of FDG PET-CT in initial staging and response assessment in this interesting case of pleural synovial sarcoma is presented.

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Enterovesical fistulas are complications of advanced pelvic malignancies, repeated diverticulitis, and rare conditions like Crohn disease. They are difficult to demonstrate on conventional imaging and often are the source of recurrent urinary tract infections. An interesting case of sigmoidovesical fistula secondary to advanced rectosigmoid cancer is described in this case report.

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Primary lymphoma of the bone is a rare clinical presentation constituting to <1% of all lymphomas. The long bones are usually involved. Combined treatment with chemotherapy and radiation offers long-term survival. The authors present the role of 18 fluoride-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computerized tomography in initial staging and response assessment in a case of primary diffuse large B cell lymphoma of the tibia.

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INTRODUCTION: Although single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) plays a major role in the characterization of equivocal lesions on bone scintigraphy, it remains equivocal in a fraction of these patients. We evaluated the additional value of cocktail F-18 sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) and F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) co-injection positron emission tomography (PET) (cocktail PET) in these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen breast cancer patients, who had equivocal findings on the whole body bone scan (WBS) and SPECT/CT, were subjected to a cocktail PET/CT scan. The cocktail PET/CT was performed by co-administration of 18F-FDG and 18F-NaF in a ratio of about 2.4, with the total administered activity kept at approximately 10 mCi. RESULTS: Of the 15 patients, seven were with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) and the other eight were referred because of suspicion of recurrent disease on follow-up. Of the seven patients with LABC, the cocktail PET scan was positive for all the lesions suspicious on WBS and SPECT/CT. Additionally, it showed uptake in the primary tumor and ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes as well as identified additional osseous, lymph nodal, and solid organ metastases in these patients. Similarly, of the eight patients studied for suspicion of recurrence, the cocktail PET scan was found to be positive in seven patients. In three patients, additional osseous lesions were noted. CONCLUSION: The cocktail PET/CT scan can characterize almost all the suspicious equivocal lesions on the bone scan and SPECT/CT. The distinct advantage of identifying lymph nodal and solid organ metastases allows it to be considered as a useful imaging modality in patients with equivocal bone SPECT/CT.

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Fat spared area of liver can appear as focal areas of elevated FDG uptake on a PET scan. This may mimic metastases. PET scan performed for metastatic workup in a 35-year-old female patient, a case of exocrine tumor of the pancreas, showed focal areas of increased FDG uptake. Contrast-enhanced CT performed as a part of the PET/CT study showed enlarged fatty liver with focal hyperdense areas suggesting fat sparing. Sulfur colloid scan showed physiological colloid uptake in the suspicious areas indicating preserved Kupffer cell function. The patient is on close follow-up without any evidence of metastatic disease.

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Ectopic thyroid tissue (ETT) refers to all cases in which the thyroid gland is present at a location other than its usual site. The prevalence of ETT is approximately one per 100,000 to 300,000 persons and is reported to occur in one in 4,000 to 8,000 patients with thyroid disease. Multiple ectopia of thyroid is extremely rare. Multiple ectopia in the presence of orthotopic thyroid gland is extremely rare. We report a 13-year-old boy with stunted growth and developmental delay caused due to acquired hypothyroidism. Technetium scan performed as per management protocol identified dual ectopia of thyroid. The role of hybrid Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography/Computed Tomography (SPECT/CT) in the localization of the sites of ETT is also highlighted.

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Marine-Lenhart syndrome has been described as a variant of Graves disease with the following criteria: (1) the thyroid scan shows an enlarged gland and 1 or 2 poorly functioning nodules; (2) the nodule is TSH dependent and the paranodular tissue is TSH independent; (3) after endogenous or exogenous TSH stimulation, the return of function in the nodule can be demonstrated; and (4) the nodule is histologically benign. We report a 57-year-old woman with Marine-Lenhart syndrome evaluated with technetium scanning and hybrid SPECT/CT.

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We report the findings of [18F] fluoro-deoxy-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) performed in a 67-year-old female with suspicion of gastric carcinoma. Intense FDG uptake was noted in the thickened gastric wall. Subsequent laparotomy showed diffuse involvement of the gastric wall by signet ring cell adenocarcinoma. This report highlights FDG PET/CT pattern in linitis plastica of the stomach caused by primary signet cell adenocarcinoma.

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Ectopic thyroid tissue (ETT) refers to all cases in which the thyroid gland is present at a location other than its usual site. The prevalence of ETT is approximately 1 per 100,000 to 300,000 persons and is reported to occur in 1 of 4000 to 8000 patients with thyroid disease. Multiple ectopia of the thyroid is extremely rare, with fewer than 35 cases published in literature to date. We report a 4-year-old girl with euthyroid and dual ectopia of thyroid without orthotopic thyroid gland. The role of hybrid SPECT/CT in the localization of the sites of ETT is also highlighted.

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INTRODUCTION: Abnormal morphologic findings in imaging were thought to explain the etiology of low back pain (LBP). However, it is now known that variety of morphologic abnormalities is noted even in asymptomatic individuals. Single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) could be used to differentiate incidental findings from clinically significant findings. OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to define the SPECT/CT patterns in patients with LBP and to correlate these with clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty adult patients with LBP of duration 3 months or more were prospectively evaluated in this study. Patients with known or suspected malignancy, trauma or infectious processes were excluded. A detailed history of sensory and motor symptoms and neurologic examination was performed. All the patients were subjected to MRI and bone scintigraphy with hybrid SPECT/CT of the lumbo-sacral spine within 1 month of each other. The patients were classified into those with and without neurologic symptoms, activity limitation. The findings of clinical examination and imaging were compared. MRI and SPECT/CT findings were also compared. RESULTS: Thirty patients (18 men and 12 women; mean age 38 years; range 17-64 years) were eligible for the study. Clinically, 14 of 30 (46%) had neurologic signs and or symptoms. Six of the 30 patients (20%) had positive straight leg raising test (SLRT). Twenty-two of the 30 patients (73%) had SPECT abnormality. Most frequent SPECT/CT abnormality was tracer uptake in the anterior part of vertebral body with osteophytes/sclerotic changes. Significant positive agreement was noted between this finding and MRI evidence of degenerative disc disease. Only 13% of patients had more than one abnormality in SPECT. All 30 patients had MRI abnormalities. The most frequent abnormality was degenerative disc disease and facet joint arthropathy. MRI showed single intervertebral disc abnormality in 36% of the patients and more than one intervertebral disc abnormality in remaining 64% patients. Fifteen of the 30 patients had facet joint arthropathy. 60% of these patients had involvement of more than one level facet joints while 38% had associated inter vertebral disc disease. 83% of the patients with positive SLRT had SPECT and MRI abnormalities. 100% of patients with neurologic symptoms had SPECT and MRI abnormalities. CONCLUSION: Addition of hybrid SPECT/CT data will help differentiate incidental from significant MRI abnormalities as all patients with LBP have MRI abnormalities and most have MRI abnormalities at multiple sites. Tracer uptake in the anterior part of the vertebral body represents degenerative disc disease. MRI is sensitive and SPECT/CT is specific for facet joint arthropathy. Both investigations are best used complementary to each other.

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Metaiodobenzyl guanidine (MIBG) is a derivative of guanethidine and acts as an analogue of nor-epinephrine and is widely used in the imaging of tumors of neuro-endocrine origin. Iodine-123 MIBG has ideal imaging characteristics but is expensive with limited availability. Iodine-131 MIBG is widely used in India and is cheap. Hybrid single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computerized tomography (CT) allows for anatomico-functional imaging and is being tried in MIBG studies. However, the experience with I-131 MIBG is limited. We present a pictorial assay of I-131 MIBG SPECT/CT findings in various MIBG avid tumors.

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INTRODUCTION: Radionuclide bone scan (BS) used to be the investigation of choice for detecting osseous metastases in prostate cancer. Now, with the availability serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing, clinicians do have a timely, cost-effective method to determine those patients who are highly unlikely to have osseous metastases. We determine the utility of PSA for predicting the presence of skeletal metastasis on BSs in prostate cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of medical records of 322 consecutive prostate cancers patients subjected to BS during the last 3 years was done. 52 cases were excluded due to following reasons: Serum PSA not available, hormonal or other therapy given prior to serum PSA measurement, and/or BS, and symptomatic for bone metastasis. In remaining 270 cases, PSA value and BS were evaluated. BS was performed with Tc99m methylene diphosphonate (MDP) as per the standard protocol. RESULTS: BS was found to be positive in 153/270 (56%) and negative in 117 (46%) patients. Of the 153 positive cases, 108 (70%) had serum PSA > 100 ng/ml, 42 (28%) had PSA of 20-100 ng/ml and only 3 (2%) had PSA < 20 ng/ml. All the patients with PSA > 100 ng/ml had multiple skeletal metastasis. Of the 117 negative cases, 110 (94%) had a PSA < 20 ng/ml, 5 had between 20 and 100 ng/ml and only 2 (1.8%) had PSA > 100 ng/ml. Of the 113 patients with serum PSA < 20 ng/ml, 110 (97.4%) did not show any bony metastasis. 150/157 (95.5%) patients with PSA > 20 ng/ml had bone metastasis. Using this criterion, 110 (40.7%) scans would have been omitted. CONCLUSIONS: Serum PSA < 20 ng/ml have high predictive value in ruling out skeletal metastasis. Our data are in corroboration with results from previous studies that BS should be performed only if PSA > 20 ng/ml. Using this cut-off, unnecessary investigation can be avoided. Avoiding BS in this group of patients would translate into a significant cost-saving and reduction in their psychological and physical burden.