The Journal of Diagnostic and Theranostic Imaging
Volume 1, Issue 1, Pages 5-7 (June 2025)
Received: 31 May 2025 • Accepted: 18 June 2025 • Published: 27 June 2025
Case Report
FDG-Avid Non-Ossifying Fibromas Mimicking Metastases in Pediatric Ewing Sarcoma: A Diagnostic Pitfall on PET/CT
Emine Göknur Işık¹, Begüm Arça¹, Zuhal Bayramoğlu², Ülkü Miray Yıldırım³
¹ Department of Nuclear Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye
² Department of Radiology, Division of Medical Sciences, Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Türkiye
³ Division of Pediatric Hematology–Oncology, Oncology Institute, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Türkiye
Abstract
Objective: To describe a rare diagnostic pitfall on F-18 FDG PET/CT caused by FDG-avid non-ossifying fibromas (NOFs) in a pediatric patient with Ewing sarcoma.
Case: We retrospectively evaluated PET/CT findings in a 15-year-old male diagnosed with histologically confirmed Ewing sarcoma of the thoracic wall. Whole-body F-18 FDG PET/CT was performed for initial staging. Lesions with abnormal uptake were further evaluated using radiologic imaging to assess morphology and confirm the benign nature of incidental findings.
Results: PET/CT showed no evidence of distant metastasis. However, two focal FDG-avid bone lesions were identified incidentally: one in the distal right femur (SUVmax: 19.9) and another in the proximal left tibia (SUVmax: 6.8). Both demonstrated higher FDG uptake than the primary tumor (SUVmax: 6.7). Radiographs and MRI revealed well-circumscribed, cortically based lesions with imaging features typical of non-ossifying fibromas, confirming their benign nature.
Conclusion: FDG-avid NOFs may mimic skeletal metastases on PET/CT, potentially leading to misinterpretation and unnecessary interventions. Correlation with conventional imaging such as MRI and radiographs is crucial to avoid overstaging and guide appropriate clinical management in pediatric oncology.
Keywords: F-18 FDG PET/CT, non-ossifying fibroma, pediatric oncology, benign bone tumor, Ewing sarcoma.
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