Brown Adipose Tissue Mimicking Head and Neck Cancer on PET Scan in a Patient on GLP ‐1 Drug
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: To report a case of a patient undergoing GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy in which increased FDG uptake in brown adipose tissue (BAT) mimicked metastatic head and neck cancer on PET/CT imaging. A 61-year-old female with Class III obesity presented with a right-sided neck mass after significant weight loss following the use of the GLP-1 receptor agonist, Semaglutide. PET/CT revealed FDG uptake in the right level II lymph node and extensive BAT uptake throughout the neck and mediastinum, complicating the diagnosis. Increased FDG uptake in the cervical and supraclavicular BAT regions led to diagnostic confusion, mimicking diffuse regional metastasis. Careful interpretation of PET/CT imaging, with fusion of anatomical and functional data, was essential to differentiate hypermetabolic BAT from malignant disease. Increased BAT FDG uptake, particularly in patients using GLP-1 receptor agonists, can complicate the evaluation of head and neck cancer. Awareness of this interaction is critical to avoid misdiagnosis and overtreatment. Laryngoscope, 135:741-743, 2025.
Source: The Laryngoscope
DOI: 10.1002/lary.31815
Authors: Daron B. Harrison, Alisa L. Phillips, James B. Tansey, Travis J. Clarke, C.B. Wood, Lucien Nedzi, David L. Schwartz, Liza Makowski, D.N. Hayes, Grace Newman, John P. Gleysteen
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G324247120, UNITS: The UNC / UT National Clinical Trials Network Group Integrated Translational Science Production and Consultation Center, Determining the contribution of microbial-derived metabolites to protective immunity in obesity-driven cancer risk., Role of microbially-derived metabolites in anti-tumor immunity in breast cancer
OpenAlex ID: W4403198394