Incidentally Detected Carcinoma Ex Pleomorphic Adenoma of Parotid Gland by F-18 FDG PET/CT

Parotid incidentalomas detected by FDG PET/CT during the workup of various malignancies are almost always benign tumors or inflammations [1]. The authors report an unusual case of an incidentally detected carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma originating from the parotid gland. A 62-year-old man underwent FDG PET/CT to determine the initial stage of gastric carcinoma, and the scan revealed an incidental FDG-avid mass in the left parotid gland. The patient underwent gastrectomy, and no further evaluation was made of the parotid mass. However, 4.5 years later, the patient underwent FDG PET/CT for regular follow-up of his gastric cancer, and the scan showed an FDG-avid parotid mass with multiple cervical lymphadenopathies. He subsequently underwent surgery, and the final diagnosis was of carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma with cervical lymph node metastasis (Figs. 1 and and22)