Objectives:The objective of this study was to correlate maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) with different immunohistochemical subtypes of breast cancer and other prognostic factors in breast cancer.Subjects and Methods:This was a retrospective study including 219 consecutive patients undergoing whole-body fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan for the staging of breast cancer. Out of 219 patients, two were male and 217 were female; age ranged from 26 to 85 years with mean age of 54 years. On histopathological examination (HPE), 197 patients were of invasive ductal carcinoma type and two of lobular type. Histopathological grades, immunohistochemistry (IHC) types, and ki-67 values were compared with SUVmax values.Results:The mean SUVmax of the population was 11.39 (±6.05). The mean SUVmax in different HPE grades was Grade 1 = 6.81 ± 5.6, Grade 2 = 11.4 ± 6.12, and Grade 3 = 13.14 ± 5. The mean SUVmax values in different IHC types were Luminal A = 7.75 ± 4.2, Luminal B = 10.01 ± 5.3, triple negative = 15.26 ± 5.6, and HER2 enriched = 11.27 ± 5.2. The mean SUVmax in high ki-67 patients was 11.97 ± 5.85 compared with 7.25 ± 3.43 patients with low ki-67. Univariate analysis showed significant difference in SUVmax in patients with different grades (P = 0.013), hormone receptor positivity (P ≤ 0.001), ki-67 (P < 0.001), and axillary lymph node positivity (P ≤ 0.001). In multivariate regression analysis, there was significantly higher SUVmax value in triple-negative patients after correcting for tumor size, ki-67 value, axillary lymph node status, and grade of tumor.Conclusion:High SUVmax values were noted in high-grade, high ki-67, triple-negative, and axillary lymph node positive tumors.

Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) is a useful proven imaging modality in the management of many types of cancers. It is being used at various stages of treatment of cancer. Knowledge regarding the physiological biodistribution and false-positive findings should be kept in mind for correct interpretation. Pulmonary FDG uptake can be due to different causes such as infection, inflammation, and metastases which are invariably associated with structural abnormality on CT. In rare circumstances, there can be a focus of FDG uptake in the lung with no corresponding structural abnormality which might be due to an inflammatory vascular microthrombus or due to iatrogenic microembolism caused during the injection of radiotracer. It is important to be aware of this as it can cause difficulty in interpreting the scan and can lead to false-positive findings. It also highlights the importance of hybrid imaging in the form of PET-CT as there is a definite possibility of misinterpreting this as a site of metastasis in a known carcinoma patient if there was no corresponding CT image.

Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL) is a rare and poorly differentiated type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. In this variant, the lymphoma cells infiltrate preferentially into the subcutaneous adipose tissue. It is an indolent type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and can be mistaken for panniculitis. Here, we describe the case of a 59-year-old female patient who presented with altered skin pigmentation with diffuse plaque-like patches in the skin around the thighs and legs. A skin biopsy revealed subcutaneous lobular panniculitis composed of lymphocytes, epithelioid histiocytes, and occasional giant cells admixed with atypical lymphoid cells, which were suggestive of cutaneous lymphoma. Immunohistochemistry showed CD3 positive, CD20 negative, CD8 positive, CD4 occasional cells positive, CD56 negative, and CD5 few cells positive, confirming the diagnosis of SPTCL. Therefore, cases with atypical and nonresolving dermatological lesions should raise a suspicion of SPTCL as diagnosis against other benign conditions.

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