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CASE REPORT article
Front. Oncol.
Sec. Cancer Imaging and Image-directed Interventions
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1521361
The Role of 18 F-FDG PET/CT in Detecting Rare Post-Surgical Cardiac Metastasis of Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma: A Case Report
Provisionally accepted- the Third Hospital of Mianyang, Mianyang, China
Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast is an extremely rare and highly aggressive malignancy associated with a poor prognosis. Breast spindle cell carcinoma is a subtype of metaplastic carcinoma. We present the case of a 48-year-old woman who was found to have a breast nodule during a routine examination two years ago. Pathological examination following surgical resection confirmed the diagnosis of breast spindle cell carcinoma. One year later, a follow-up CT scan detected a progressively enlarging mass in the left lower lobe of the lung, which was histologically confirmed as metastatic breast spindle cell carcinoma after surgical excision. Recently, the patient developed chest discomfort and severe left thigh pain, prompting an 18 F-FDG PET/CT scan, which revealed metastases to the lung, heart, pleura, and femur. Subsequently, the patient's condition deteriorated rapidly within a short period. This report highlights the rare imaging findings of cardiac metastasis following surgery for breast spindle cell carcinoma, underscoring the highly aggressive nature of this tumor and the pivotal role of 18 F-FDG PET/CT in the post-operative monitoring of patients with breast spindle cell carcinoma.
Keywords: 18F, FDG, PET/CT, Metaplastic breast carcinoma, Cardiac metastasis
Received: 01 Nov 2024; Accepted: 28 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Liao, Fu, Li, Qi, Li and Long. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Yongjun Long, the Third Hospital of Mianyang, Mianyang, China
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