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. 2013 Dec;45(4):354-8.
doi: 10.4143/crt.2013.45.4.354. Epub 2013 Dec 31.

Sarcoidosis mimicking cancer metastasis following chemotherapy for ovarian cancer

Mi Hyun Kim  1 , Kwangha Lee  1 , Ki Uk Kim  2 , Hye-Kyung Park  2 , Min Ki Lee  2 , Dong Soo Suh  3
Affiliations

Sarcoidosis mimicking cancer metastasis following chemotherapy for ovarian cancer

Mi Hyun Kim et al. Cancer Res Treat. 2013 Dec.

Abstract

We report on a rare case of sarcoidosis that developed after chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, and mimicked a cancer metastasis. A 52-year-old female diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer underwent curative surgery and postoperative chemotherapy. Four months later, her whole-body positron emission tomography and computed tomography (CT) scan showed high uptake in the mediastinal lymph nodes, and ovarian cancer recurrence was suspected. Biopsy of the mediastinal lymph nodes and subcutaneous nodules revealed noncaseating granulomas. These lesions resolved spontaneously without treatment; however, newly developed perilymphatic and centrilobular nodules were observed on follow-up chest CT. Surgical biopsy of these lesions also showed noncaseating granulomas. She was finally diagnosed with sarcoidosis.

Keywords: Drug therapy; Ovarian neoplasms; Positron-emission tomography and computed tomography; Sarcoidosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest relevant to this article was not reported.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Plain chest radiograph. (A) Plain chest radiograph before chemotherapy showed no active lung lesion. (B) Plain chest radiograph after chemotherapy showed bilateral hilar enlargement (arrows).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) images of the lymph nodes. PET/CT scan showed multiple areas of high uptake in the enlarged paratracheal, left supraclavicular, retrocrural, and diaphragmatic lymph nodes.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Computed tomography (CT) images of the lymph nodes (A) four months after chemotherapy and (B, C) at the follow-up. (A) CT scan of the mediastinal setting showed multiple mediastinal lymph adenopathy (arrows). (B) CT scan of the mediastinal setting showed decreased size of multiple mediastinal lymph nodes (arrows). (C) CT scan of the lung setting showed newly developed perilymphatic and centrilobular nodules in both lungs (arrows).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Biopsy specimens showed multiple noncaseating granulomas with no evidence of malignancy. (A) Right paratracheal lymph node. (B) Subcutaneous nodule in the right arm. (C) Lung parenchyma (A-C, H&E staining, ×400).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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