Detection of Malignant Thymoma During Myocardial Perfusion Tomography With Tc-99m SestamibiPotential Implications for Tumor Evaluation and Staging

摘要

A 75-year-old patient had stress Tc-99m sestamibi SPECT to evaluate typical chest pain. A mediastinal mass in the thymic region was serendipitously detected. In high-quality SPECT images obtained using an iterative reconstruction algorithm, the mass dimensions were estimated and involvement of the heart wall was excluded. CT and surgical and histologic findings confirmed the diagnosis of a low-grade (stage II) malignant thymoma, the tumor size as assessed by SPECT, and the lack of pericardial involvement. This report suggests a possible role of Tc-99m sestamibi SPECT for diagnosing thymoma with foreseeable implications for tumor staging.