PET Scans Read Normal but Patient Dies From Metastatic Disease

Case Overview

This case involves a fifty-nine-year-old male with a history of a goiter on the right side of his neck that was removed in 2010. A follow-up biopsy was performed that revealed suspicious tissue and the patient was advised to have his left thyroid removed as a precaution. Two PET Scans were done after both surgeries with the first scan being read as suspicious and the second being read as normal. The patient initially had PET scans done every six months and then tests were recommended yearly. He was told all PET Scans were normal. One year after his last scan, the patient was working in his yard, and he felt a tear and pop in his left shoulder. He went to the emergency room where additional diagnostic scans were performed. The patient was told he had bone destruction and deterioration from a cancerous metastatic disease that was detected in his ribs and vertebrae.