I had a major back surgery procedure and have been having chest pain and shortness of breath since the surgery. Here is the Pet Scan That I just had done yesterday;Please Help me understand my Pet Scan Report:
Findings:
PET:
There is homogenous, mildly increased FDG activity associated with an ill-defined anterior mediastinal soft tissue density. This finding in nonspecific and may be related to thymic tissue or rebound thymic hyperplasia. No discrete focal areas of intensely increased uptake within the thymus is identified. Minimal increased uptake is noted within the hilar areas bilaterally, right greater than left, in association with mildly prominent bilateral hilar lymph nodes. This finding is also nonspecific and may be reactive or malignant in etiology. Mild enlargement of the spleen is noted, with increased FDG activity compared with the liver. This finding is also nonspecific given the presenceof diffuse hepatic stestosis. Linear increased activity is noted in association with an anterior abdominal wall surgical scar. The remainder the body demonstrates physiologic uptake of radiopharmaceutical.
CT Scan:
There are postsurgical changes related to prior L5 left hemilaminectomy, S1 right hemilaminectomy, and L5-S1 fusion with an L5 right pedical screw, S1 left pedicle screw and interbody spacers at the L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels. A 5mm right lower lobe pulmonary nodule seen on series 3, image 66 is below the resolution of PET. There is diffuse hepatic steatosis, with an area of focal fatty sparing along the medial aspect of the gallbladder fossa. In addition, there is diffuse fatty atrophy of the pancreas.
IMPRESSION:
1. Mildly increased homogenous activity associated with an anterior mediastinal soft tissue density likely representing the thymus. This finding is nonspecific and may be related to persistent thymic tissue or thymic hyperplasia. Low-grade malignant involvement cannot be completely excluded. If clinically indicated, further evaluation with chest MRI to attempt to characterize the anterior mediastical soft tissue as thymic tissue can be performed. Alternatively, histologic sampling could be performed if there is a high clinical suspicion of malignancy.
2. Minimal increased FDG activity associated with mildly prominent bilateral hilar lymph nodes, right greater than left. These findings are also nonspecific and may be reactive or malignant etiology.
3. Increased FDG activity associated with an enlarged spleen is also nonspecific in the setting of diffuse hepatic steatosis.
4. 5mm right middle lobe pulmonary nodule unchanged compared with 06/23/2011 chest CT. If the patient has no risk factors for malignancy, a one year follow-up chest CT is recommended. If the patient has risk factors for malignancy, a chest CT in 6 to 12 months is recommended, with additional follow-up chest CT examinations thereafter to document 2 years of stability in the size and appearance of this nodule. At time of future imaging studies, the hilar lymph nodes and anterior mediastinal soft tissue can be re-evaluated.