[Case of pulmonary tuberculosis with both a solitary nodule and enlarged lymph nodes showing intense uptake on 18f-fluoro-deoxy glucose positron emission tomography (18FDG-PET) requiring differentiation from lung cancer].

A 63-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for the evaluation of an abnormal nodule in lung. Chest CT demonstrated a smooth nodular shadow in the left S6 and enlarged left hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes. Local uptake in these nodes was demonstrated on 18FDG-PET. Although bronchoscopic study was performed, definitive diagnosis had not yet been determined. After one year, the nodular shadow increased in its size. To confirm the diagnosis, VATS was performed. The histological findings showed a caseating epithelioid-cell granuloma and culture of the specimen was positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This case suggested the difficulty in distinguishing lung cancer from solitary tuberculous nodules by using 18FDG.