Absence of gallium uptake in unicentric and multicentric Castleman's disease

Abstract

Castleman's disease is a rare and poorly understood condition involving lymph nodes at various sites, predominantly in the mediastinum. Individuals with this disease often present with lymphadenopathy and general symptoms suggestive of lymphomatous disease, and they are at risk of developing malignant lymphoma. It is thus important to distinguish Castleman's disease from other lymphoproliferative disorders. 67Ga scintigraphy is a non-invasive and practical diagnostic tool for the investigation of patients with lymphoproliferative disorders. However, the value of this technique for the diagnosis of Castleman's disease is not clear. Here, we describe five consecutive patients with various types of Castleman's disease and show that none of these individuals exhibited 67Ga uptake. Our results suggest the potential value of 67Ga scintigraphy in both the diagnosis and management of Castleman's disease.