Tumor Versus Capillary Telangiectasia in Recurring Glioblastoma

Clin Nucl Med. 2026 May 1;51(5):e303-e304. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000006125. Epub 2025 Sep 8.

Abstract

This image highlights a diagnostic pitfall in a 65-year-old patient with recurrent glioblastoma. 18 F-FET-PET revealed 2 hotspots with focally enhanced uptake: local tumor recurrence (TBR max 2.3) on the left and another lesion in the right anterior cingulate gyrus (TBR max 1.8), suspicious for a distant tumor manifestation. However, multimodal MRI revealed a benign capillary telangiectasia in the anterior cingulate gyrus. While 18 F-FET-PET is highly sensitive for detecting tumor activity, vascular malformations may also exhibit moderate tracer uptake. Therefore, careful interpretation and comparison with multiple MRI sequences are essential.

Keywords: FET-PET; diagnostic pitfall; glioblastoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Brain Neoplasms* / complications
  • Brain Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Glioblastoma* / complications
  • Glioblastoma* / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local* / diagnostic imaging
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Recurrence
  • Telangiectasis* / complications
  • Telangiectasis* / diagnostic imaging
  • Tyrosine / analogs & derivatives

Substances

  • (18F)fluoroethyltyrosine
  • Tyrosine