Adenocarcinoma of the Stomach Leading to Recurrent Regurgitation and Muscular Hypermetabolism on 18F-FDG PET/CT.

Skeletal muscle uptake of F-FDG can result from a variety of physiologic and pathologic conditions. It is important for the physician to interpret these uptake patterns in the correct context to avoid a misdiagnosis. We present a case of a 36-year-old man with progressive, repeated episodes of regurgitation who was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the stomach. F-FDG PET/CT showed increased tracer uptake in the primary tumor and in the intercostal and sternocleidomastoid muscles. The pattern of tracer uptake along with the clinical history and examination of the patient helped differentiate a physiologic variant from a pathologic cause.