Lumbar Osteophyte Avid on 68Ga–Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen PET/CT

Abstract

A 75-year-old man with recently diagnosed high-risk prostate cancer was referred for primary staging with Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT. The scan revealed intense Ga-PSMA uptake in a lumbar osteophyte on the right side of level L2/L3, whereas several other spinal osteophytes showed no Ga-PSMA uptake. MRI findings in the L3 vertebra was consistent with a benign Modic type 1 lesion, but MRI showed no signs of malignancy in the osteophyte with high Ga-PMSA uptake. This case presents an osteophyte as an addition to the list of potential benign pitfalls to be aware of when interpreting Ga-PSMA PET/CT.