Recurrent Cervical Lymph Node Metastases in a Patient with Parotid Carcinoma after Surgery and Radiotherapy Demonstrated on F-Fuorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography

Received 2/20/2002; accepted 2/27/2002. For correspondence or reprints contact: Shih-Ya Ma, M.D., Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, 5 Fu-Hsing Street, Kueishan, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan. Tel: (886)3-3281200 ext. 2624, Fax: (886)3-3281320, E-mail: [email protected] We reported a 72-year-old male patient of malignant parotid squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with right cervical lymph node metastases. The tumor and metastatic lymph nodes were not found after parotidectomy and radiotherapy (RT). For survey of recurrent cancer, Ffluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) was performed twice and showed one hypermetabolic lesion in the right middle cervical region, which was not detected by computed tomography (CT), and the other two in the left posterior auricle and deep lower cervical regions. The final pathology confirmed recurrent metastatic SCC of the right cervical lymph nodes. In this case, the value of FDG-PET for earlier detection of recurrent lymph node metastases after RT was demonstrated.