Solitary splenic metastasis in a patient with a malignant melanoma diagnosed with F-18-FDG PET scanning.

A 71-year-old woman with a history of stage III melanoma was hospitalized for evaluating fever of unknown origin and severe left upper quadrant abdominal pain. A computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed a solitary lesion in the spleen, 10.5 x 10.4 x 10.1-cm, causing splenomegaly. Fused F-18 FDG PET/CT images revealed a solitary splenic metastasis and a focus of increased uptake in the region of the previously removed melanoma at the right scapula. Based on the clinical findings and CT and PET scans, malignant melanoma (stage IV) was diagnosed. Splenectomy was performed subsequently. The histopathologic finding was consistent with a metastasis of a melanoma.