[Usefulness of 99mTc-PMT SPECT and 18F-FDG PET in diagnosing orbital metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma].

We reported a case in which 99mTc-PMT scintigraphy was useful in diagnosing orbital metastasis of HCC. The case involved a 70 y.o. male, who had undergone nine transcatheter arterial embolizations over two years because of HCC and who had a past history of gastric cancer. The patient had complained of headache and visual disturbance for two months. Cranial CT and MRI studies showed a large homogeneous mass with remarkable bone destruction in the right lateral orbital wall. Because AFP was elevated, orbital metastasis of HCC was suspected, and 99mTc-PMT scanning was performed. On the planar and SPECT images, very high uptake was found in the right orbital tumor. The FDG-PET study showed remarkable hypermetabolism in the medial portion of tumor and follow-up MRI revealed that the tumor had expanded and invaded to the medial side of the orbit. 99mTc-PMT scanning was critical in diagnosing this case of orbital metastasis, and FDG-PET imaging was useful in determining the most active portion of the tumor.