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Table 1 Characteristics of five patients who received a diagnosis of TB after FDG-PET/CT scan

From: FDG-PET/CT activity leads to the diagnosis of unsuspected TB: a retrospective study

Patient information

TB infection diagnosis

Comorbidities

Scan date

Thoracic CT scan

Thoracic FDG-PET scan

Microbiology and histopathology

Diagnosis and management

1. 69-year-old male from Morocco (immigrated to the US in 2004). Asymptomatic. Evaluated for potential lung metastases of prostate cancer

TST = 20 mm

DM, recently diagnosed prostate cancer (not on treatment)

2011

2 cm spiculated nodule in RUL, 5 mm nodule in LUL

RUL nodule uptake (SUVmax 2.72)

Negative sputum microscopy and culture. Wedge resection showed necrotizing granulomas

Class 4 TB. RIF and INH for 4 months

2. 58-year-old male from the Philippines (immigrated to the US in 2010). Asymptomatic. Evaluated for TB per immigration requirements

TST = 20 mm

DM

2011

2.1 cm spiculated nodule in LUL

LUL nodule uptake (SUVmax 3.9)

Negative sputum microscopy and culture. Wedge resection showed necrotizing granulomas

Class 4 TB. RIF and INH for 4 months

3. 34-year-old male from Haiti (immigrated to the US in 1998). Cough and night sweats for 1 month

Negative TST (self-reported)

HIV infection (CD4 cell count of 26 cells/mm, not on ART), smoking

2009

Centrilobular tree-in-bud opacities, 1 and 1.5 cm cavitary nodules in the LUL

LUL nodule uptake (SUVmax 3.1)

Positive MTB culture from sputum (at 3 weeks) and from bronchoalveolar lavage (at 3 days)

Class 3 TB. RIPE

4. 77-year-old male from the Dominican Republic (immigrated to the US in 2010). Unintentional weight loss. Known to have an abnormal chest X-ray

TST = 15 mm (negative 8 weeks prior)

COPD

2013

Scarring of LUL, multiple nodules and tree-in-bud lesions in RUL, right hilar calcifications

RUL nodule uptake (SUVmax 1.5). Left hilar uptake (SUVmax 2.3). Colon uptake (SUVmax 7.9)

Positive MTB PCR from sputum. Positive MTB culture from colon ulceration (found on colonoscopy)

Class 3 TB. RIPE

5. 54-year-old male from Vietnam (immigrated to the US in 1988). Cough for 2 weeks, which resolved spontaneously

Positive TST (self-reported) TB disease treated in 1979; LTBI treatment in 1989 upon arrival to the US

COPD

2011

1.6 and 1.4 cm nodules in the RUL

RUL nodules uptake (SUVmax 2.6)

Positive MTB culture from bronchoalveolar lavage (at 5 weeks)

Class 3 TB. RIPE

  1. CT computerized tomography, FDG-PET 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-glucose-positron emission tomography, TST tuberculin skin test, DM diabetes mellitus, RUL right upper lobe, LUL left upper lobe, SUVmax maximum standard uptake value, TB tuberculosis, RIF rifampin, INH isoniazid, HIV human immunodeficiency virus, MTB Mycobacterium tuberculosis, RIPE rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol, COPD chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, PCR polymerase chain reaction