Melanoma - 71-year-old male

History
A 71-year-old male with metastatic melanoma on left shoulder discovered 12/94.

CT Findings
CT performed on 7/10/95 demonstrated tumor of the distal femur with negative findings in the abdomen.

PET Findings
Whole-body FDG PET scan demonstrates numerous lesions throughout the body.

Bone Scan Findings
Bone scan on 7/13/95 showed an abnormal femur and four spine lesions.

Change in treatment plan
Patient was scheduled for an amputation and total knee replacement based on CT and bone scan results. After PET found multiple lesions, surgery was cancelled, avoiding both the cost and the trauma of an operation that would not be effective.

Courtesy of
Amjad Ali, M.D., Rush-Presbyterian - St. Luke's Medical Center