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Case Reports
. 2024 Oct 8;24(1):71-74.
doi: 10.1055/s-0044-1791694. eCollection 2025 Mar.

FDG-PET/CT Avid Uptake of a Biopsy-Proven Aggressive Melanotic Schwannoma of the S2 Spinal Nerve Root

Mohammed A Azab  1 , Hamid Abdelma'aboud Mostafa  1 , Oday Atallah  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

FDG-PET/CT Avid Uptake of a Biopsy-Proven Aggressive Melanotic Schwannoma of the S2 Spinal Nerve Root

Mohammed A Azab et al. World J Nucl Med. .

Abstract

Malignant melanotic nerve sheath tumors (MMNSTs), also known as a melanocytic schwannoma (MS), are a rare type of peripheral nerve sheath tumors including Schwann cells with melanocytic differentiation. Only a few cases of spinal MMNST have been reported in literature. Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ( 18 F-FDG-PET/CT) could be used to detect these lesions. A 70-year-old man with a 6-month history of backache was admitted to our hospital. PET/CT showed a paravertebral soft tissue mass along the spinal nerve at the S2 level with strong FDG uptake, and a nodule with increased FDG uptake in the right lobe of the left liver. A CT-guided biopsy of the S2 lesion was performed. The final diagnosis was spinal MS with hepatic metastasis. The patient received stereotactic body radiation therapy. Herein, we report the PET/CT findings of a case of MS with hepatic metastasis. FDG-PET/CT is helpful in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant lesions although nonspecific.

Keywords: FDG-PET/CT; MMNST; melanocytic schwannoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest None declared.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PET/CT image showed increased FDG uptake in the right S2 nerve root.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Positron emission tomography (PET) scan of the liver shows avid uptake in the right lobe of the liver.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Hematoxylin and Eosin stained slide showing expansile, cell dense proliferation of neoplastic spindloid cells interspersed with neoplastic pigmented cells (200 magnification).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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