Case report reveals unifocal nonbacterial osteomyelitis mimicking metastasis on PET/CT in a breast cancer survivor, highlighting the necessity of biopsy to prevent overtreatment.
Chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) is a rare inflammatory bone disorder of unclear etiology that may present with unifocal or multifocal lesions. Because it can mimic malignancy on imaging, clinicoradiologic correlation and a multidisciplinary approach are essential. We report unifocal inflammatory osteitis compatible with CNO involving the sternum in a 56-y-old woman with a history of ductal carcinoma in situ. During surveillance, bone scintigraphy showed focal 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate uptake and ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT revealed a solitary ¹⁸F-FDG–avid sternal lesion. MRI findings were suggestive of osteomyelitis. Biopsy excluded malignancy, supporting a diagnosis of CNO. Follow-up MRI demonstrated regression. This case underscores that a solitary ¹⁸F-FDG–avid sternal lesion does not necessarily represent metastatic disease, and histopathologic confirmation may prevent unnecessary treatment escalation.
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Daşar et al. (2026) studied this question.
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