Pulmonary cavitations with increased F-18-FDG uptake revealing a thoracic endometriosis A case report

Rationale: Thoracic endometriosis is a rare disorder that can involve airways, pleura and lung parenchyma. It is the most frequent form of extra-abdominopelvic endometriosis. Multiple lung cavitations are a rare feature of thoracic endometriosis. Patient concerns: A 46-year-old woman was referred to our hospital after incidental finding of multiple pulmonary cavitations with surrounding areas of ground glass opacity on a thoraco-abdominal computed tomography-scan performed for abdominal pain. Retrospectively, the patient also reported mild hemoptysis occurring 4 months ago. Diagnoses: Positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan revealed moderate and homogeneous [F-18] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (F-18-FDG) uptake in pulmonary cavitations (maximum standardized uptake value 5.7). The diagnosis of thoracic endometriosis was confirmed by histological examination of surgical resection of a left lower lobe cavitation. Interventions and outcome: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues associated with add-back therapy was started. Four months after initiating pharmacological treatment, the chest computed tomography-scan showed a dramatic decrease in lung cavitations size. Lessons: Thoracic endometriosis is a rare disorder requiring a multidisciplinary management including gynaecologist, pulmonologist, radiologist, nuclear physician, pathologist and thoracic surgeon for early diagnosis and treatment. Our case report highlights that an increased F-18-FDG uptake can be found in thoracic endometriosis syndrome presenting as multiple lung cavitations.