Focal hepatic uptake along the falciform: False positive for malignancy on 18F-FDG-PET in a lymphoma patient with superior vena cava obstruction

Focal Liver 18F-FDG Uptake in a Patient Who Underwent Thrombolysis for Brachiocephalic and Subclavian Thrombosis: A Potential Pitfall

ABSTRACT

A 19-year-old woman presented with a primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma invading the superior vena cava with associated thrombosis of the left brachiocephalic and subclavian vein. She underwent thrombolysis followed by chemotherapy. The midtreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated important regression of the primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma, but showed intense focal hepatic uptake in segment IV, without a corresponding lesion on ultrasonography, non-contrast-enhanced low-dose CT, and MRI. This focal uptake disappeared on a subsequent 18F-FDG PET/CT study when the radiotracer was injected in the foot, suggesting an anomalous venous return pathway that persisted despite thrombolysis.

Hepatic "hot-spot" on angio-computed tomography: the role of inferior Sappey's and ensiform veins

Hepatic "hot spots" in anterior paraumbilical hepatic segments of patients suffering from superior vena cava syndrome may be revealed by angio-computed tomography. They may be due to a collateralizing system, the epigastric-paraumbilical venous system (EPVS), which enters the liver as a "third inflow". We report a typical case emphasizing the role of the ensiform and inferior Sappey's veins which constitute typical anatomic components of the EPVS.