Abstract

The risk of herpes zoster reactivation in patients undergoing cancer treatment is significant, though this phenomenon has rarely been reported in the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) population. We aim to report the potential for infection to lead to false-positive findings on positron emission tomography/CT in these patients. This case highlights the potential for herpes zoster reactivation to result in false-positive findings on post-treatment imaging following chemoradiation for HNSCC. It is therefore imperative for providers to be aware of this when evaluating patients during and after treatment for HNSCC.