Tracheobronchial Tuberculosis Mimicking Malignancy on Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography

Abstract

A 69-year-old woman presented with cough and swelling of the tonsils and right cervical lymph nodes. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was diagnosed based on biopsies of a tonsil and cervical lymph node. The intense uptake of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) was seen in the tonsil and right cervical lymph nodes and from the lower trachea to the left main bronchus (LMB) on 18 F-FDG-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) (Picture 1). Chest CT showed bronchial wall thickening and stenosis of the LMB (Picture 1) but no abnormalities in the lung fields. Sputum acid-fast bacilli smear yielded positive results, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis was identified. Tracheobronchial tuberculosis was diagnosed before treatment for malignant lymphoma and treated with anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy. The