Intramedullary Spinal Cord Malakoplakia Mimicking Malignant Neoplasm on 18F-FDG PET/CT

Abstract

Abstract We report a rare case of intramedullary spinal cord malakoplakia mimicking malignancy on 18F-FDG PET/CT. A 61-year-old man underwent a contrast-enhanced spinal cord MRI to evaluate 1 week of progressive left-sided weakness. Spinal cord MRI showed a 1.3-cm enhancing intramedullary cervical spinal cord mass at C5 level with cord edema. Subsequently, 18F-FDG PET/CT was performed for evaluation. The images showed a well-circumscribed hypermetabolic mass in the spinal cord; no lesions were suggestive of malignancy or metastasis. A subtotal tumor excision was performed; histopathological examination revealed malakoplakia. This emphasizes the significance of histopathological evaluation and the importance of diagnostic confirmation.