Abstract
Objective
To alert the imaging community to potential false positive findings related to current immunization programmes against H1N1 influenza virus.
Methods
We reviewed 10 patients referred for positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) who had undergone recent vaccination.
Results
All studies showed 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in the draining axillary lymph nodes close to the vaccination site, while low-dose CT revealed lymph nodes ranged between 0.5 cm and 1.2 cm at the same site.
Conclusion
This potential pitfall in PET/CT should be borne in mind during current vaccination programmes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
New influenza A/H1N1 virus: global epidemiological situation (2009) Wkly Epidemiol Rec 84:249–257
Ahmed R, Gray D (1996) Immunological memory and protective immunity: understanding their relation. Science 272:54–60
Iyengar S, Chin B, Margolick JB et al (2003) Anatomical loci of HIV-associated immune activation and association with viraemia. Lancet 362:945–950
Williams G, Joyce RM, Parker JA (2006) False-positive axillary lymph node on FDG-PET/CT scan resulting from immunization. Clin Nucl Med 31:731–732
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Panagiotidis, E., Exarhos, D., Housianakou, I. et al. FDG uptake in axillary lymph nodes after vaccination against pandemic (H1N1). Eur Radiol 20, 1251–1253 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-010-1719-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-010-1719-5