Korean J Radiol.  2015 Feb;16(1):196-200. 10.3348/kjr.2015.16.1.196.

Charcoal-Induced Granuloma That Mimicked a Nodal Metastasis on Ultrasonography and FDG-PET/CT after Neck Dissection

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Radiology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 143-729, Korea. mdmoonwj@naver.com
  • 2Department of Nuclear Medicine, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 143-729, Korea.
  • 3Department of Pathology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 143-729, Korea.
  • 4Department of Surgery, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 143-729, Korea.

Abstract

Charcoal can be used for preoperative localization of metastatic lymph nodes in the neck. Charcoal remains stable without causing foreign body reactions during as hort period. However, foreign body reactions may develop if charcoal is left in situ for more than 6 months. We reported a case of charcoal granuloma mimicking local recurrence on fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography and ultrasonography in a 47-year-old woman who had cervical lymph node dissection due to metastatic invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast.

Keyword

Charcoal granuloma; FDG-PET/CT; Ultrasound, Neck

MeSH Terms

Breast Neoplasms/pathology/surgery/therapy
Carcinoma/*pathology/surgery/therapy
Cervix Uteri/pathology/ultrasonography
Charcoal/toxicity
Female
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18/diagnostic use
Granuloma/*diagnosis/pathology
Humans
Lymph Nodes/*surgery/ultrasonography
Lymphatic Metastasis
Middle Aged
Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
Positron-Emission Tomography
Radiopharmaceuticals/diagnostic use
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Charcoal
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
Radiopharmaceuticals

Reference

1. Langlois SL, Carter ML. Carbon localisation of impalpable mammographic abnormalities. Australas Radiol. 1991; 35:237–241.
2. Kang TW, Shin JH, Han BK, Ko EY, Kang SS, Hahn SY, et al. Preoperative ultrasound-guided tattooing localization of recurrences after thyroidectomy: safety and effectiveness. Ann Surg Oncol. 2009; 16:1655–1659.
3. Chung YE, Kim EK, Kim MJ, Yun M, Hong SW. Suture granuloma mimicking recurrent thyroid carcinoma on ultrasonography. Yonsei Med J. 2006; 47:748–751.
4. Kim JH, Lee JH, Shong YK, Hong SJ, Ko MS, Lee DH, et al. Ultrasound features of suture granulomas in the thyroid bed after thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma with an emphasis on their differentiation from locally recurrent thyroid carcinomas. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2009; 35:1452–1457.
5. Saito N, Nadgir RN, Nakahira M, Takahashi M, Uchino A, Kimura F, et al. Posttreatment CT and MR imaging in head and neck cancer: what the radiologist needs to know. Radiographics. 2012; 32:1261–1282. discussion 1282-1284.
6. Bonhomme-Faivre L, Depraetere P, Savelli MP, Amdidouche D, Bizi E, Seiller M, et al. Charcoal suspension for tumor labelling modifies macrophage activity in mice. Life Sci. 2000; 66:817–827.
7. Ruiz-Delgado ML, López-Ruiz JA, Sáiz-López A. Abnormal mammography and sonography associated with foreign-body giant-cell reaction after stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy with carbon marking. Acta Radiol. 2008; 49:1112–1118.
8. Shin JH, Han BK, Ko EY, Kang SS. Sonographic findings in the surgical bed after thyroidectomy: comparison of recurrent tumors and nonrecurrent lesions. J Ultrasound Med. 2007; 26:1359–1366.
9. Kim YK, Park HS. Foreign body granuloma of activated charcoal. Abdom Imaging. 2008; 33:94–97.
10. Lim ST, Jeong HJ, Kim DW, Yim CY, Sohn MH. F-18 FDG PET-CT findings of intraperitoneal carbon particles-induced granulomas mimicking peritoneal carcinomatosis. Clin Nucl Med. 2008; 33:321–324.
Full Text Links
  • KJR
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2025 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr