Increased FDG uptake in the right cardiac chambers in a patient with pulmonary emphysema.

A solitary lung node was identified on a computed tomographic (CT) scan in a 62-year-old man with severe pulmonary hypertension and emphysema who was enrolled in a lung transplant program. Aspiration biopsy confirmed the presence of a pulmonary adenocarcinoma in the right middle lobe. A fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomographic (PET) study was performed to stage the disease. In addition to the known lung cancer, significantly increased FDG uptake in the right atrium, right ventricle, and interventricular septum were noted.