Incidental Detection of a Small Cell Lung Cancer by 18F-Choline PET/CT Performed for Recurrent Hyperparathyroidism After Parathyroidectomy

We report the case of a 64-year-old woman with musculoskeletal pain and elevated serum parathyroid hormone who had undergone parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism 4 years earlier. An F-18-choline PET/CT scan was performed and incidentally showed an intense uptake in a right upper lobe pulmonary nodule and in the right hilar, mediastinal, and cervical lymph nodes. Histopathological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of a small cell lung cancer. Clinical symptoms and recurrent hyperparathyroidism were therefore consistent with a paraneoplastic syndrome. A complete metabolic response was achieved on F-18-FDG PET/CT scan after chemotherapy.

Automated summary

This case study reports a 64-year-old woman with musculoskeletal pain and elevated serum parathyroid hormone. A PET/CT scan revealed small cell lung cancer with intense uptake in multiple lymph nodes, which resolved after chemotherapy.