Concurrent Thyroid Tumor in an Elderly Patient with Giant Cell Arteritis: A Case Report.
Kiyoshi Migita, Hiroki Yamane, Kohei Ifuku et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
An 85-year-old woman presented with abrupt fever, occipital headache, and proximal muscle pain. Despite no temporal artery tenderness or dilatation, 18F-FDG PET/CT showed uptake in bilateral vertebral and subclavian arteries and in sites associated with PMR, supporting a diagnosis of GCA/PMR. The scan also identified a thyroid tumor. Symptoms resolved and laboratory findings normalized with prednisolone and tocilizumab. At the patient’s request, the tumor was monitored without surgery; no progression was observed during combined treatment.
What made this case unusual
PET/CT identified a concomitant thyroid tumor while evaluating suspected GCA/PMR, despite absent temporal artery tenderness or dilatation.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
Absence of temporal artery tenderness or dilatation does not exclude GCA; PET/CT can demonstrate large-vessel inflammation and findings associated with PMR.
Why it matters
In this case, PET/CT also revealed an incidental thyroid tumor, illustrating its potential to identify concomitant neoplasms during evaluation of vasculitis.