Immune-related Pulmonary Granulomas Mimicking Metastatic Lesions in a Lung Cancer Patient
Immune checkpoint inhibitors are widely used in non–small cell lung cancer but can cause immune-related adverse events. FDG-avid pulmonary granulomas are unusual and may be mistaken for metastases. We report a 72-year-old man with mucinous adenocarcinoma treated with immunotherapy who developed new FDG-avid, well-circumscribed, round lung nodules, initially suspected as metastases. Biopsy revealed non-necrotizing granulomas, and the nodules regressed without corticosteroids. This case highlights a diagnostic pitfall during immunotherapy, where immune-related granulomas can resemble disease progression. Clinician awareness is essential to avoid unnecessary interventions and ensure appropriate management.
Authors
- Maricel Corredor Marín
- J Zhang
- Yuliya Kitsel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1500-7083)
- Jia Wu
- Carol C. Wu
- Xiaoyu Han
Institutions
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (US)
- Thoracic Surgery Foundation (US)
- Center for Translational Molecular Medicine (NL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Clinical nuclear medicine open.
- Published
- 2026-05-11
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1097/nm9.0000000000000077
- Primary Topic
- Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00