FDG PET Findings Post-COVID Vaccinations: Signs of the Times?

ABSTRACT: Vaccinations can cause hypermetabolic axillary lymphadenopathy on FDG PET. We present the case of a 71-year-old man who underwent FDG PET/CT for melanoma staging 6 days following a COVID (coronavirus disease) vaccination. Imaging showed a prominent intramuscular mass at the vaccination site, in addition to extensive axillary lymphadenopathy. The mass was compatible with a hematoma at the vaccination site, and the lymphadenopathy was most likely reactive. This case demonstrates unconventional findings in response to a routine vaccination event-findings that, in light of current world events, are likely to be routinely encountered on PET imaging and that should be recognized reactive rather malignant.