(18)F-FDG PET/CT for discrimination between tumor extension and blood thrombus in pancreatic adenocarcinoma associated with portal vein thrombosis.

Pancreatic cancer is a malignancy with an extremely poor prognosis. Less than 3 % of patients are alive 5 years after diagnosis. Pancreatic neoplasms represent a possible but uncommon etiology of portal venous invasion. It is important to differentiate the nature of the thrombus, if it is a bland thrombus or is a direct tumor extension. Intense uptake of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) has been reported in portal vein tumor thrombus. We present a case of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and clinical findings of portal hypertension due to portal vein thrombosis. (18)F-FDG positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) evaluation discarded a tumor thrombus; imaging findings of the pancreatic tumor and the bland thrombus are presented.