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Whole-Body PET/CT with ¹¹C-Meta-Hydroxyephedrine in Tumors of the Sympathetic Nervous System: Feasibility Study and Comparison with ¹²³I-MIBG SPECT/CT

¹ Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital, Münster, Germany; ² Department of Clinical Radiology, University Hospital, Münster, Germany; and ³ Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital, Münster, Germany

Correspondence: For correspondence or reprints contact: Christiane Franzius, MD, Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Strasse 33, 48149 Münster, Germany. E-mail: franziu{at}uni-muenster.de

The ¹¹C-labeled tracer meta-hydroxyephedrine (¹¹C-HED) is a noradrenaline analog that was developed to visualize the sympathetic nervous system with PET. Initial clinical studies show a rapid uptake of ¹¹C-HED in localized tumors of this system. Whole-body imaging with ¹¹C-HED PET is now possible as PET/CT scanners allow a rather short examination time. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of whole-body ¹¹C-HED PET/CT for examination of tumors of the sympathetic nervous system and to directly compare the results with ¹²³I-labeled meta-iodobenzylguanidine (¹²³I-MIBG) scintigraphy, including SPECT/CT. Methods: In 19 consecutive patients, 9 mo to 68 y old (median, 32 y), 24 whole-body ¹¹C-HED PET/CT (low-dose CT) examinations were performed. Scans were compared with attenuation-corrected ¹²³I-MIBG SPECT/CT scans (24-h scan, low-dose CT). The intensity of tracer accumulation above background was visually analyzed in both scans, PET and SPECT, using a 4-value scale. In ¹¹C-HED PET, mean and maximum standardized uptake values were determined for all lesions. Results: In 14 patients with 19 pairs of examinations, the following tumors were confirmed histologically: 6 neuroblastomas, 5 pheochromocytomas, 1 ganglioneuroblastoma, and 2 paragangliomas. In 5 patients, each having 1 pair of examinations, clinical follow-up and/or histologic examination did not reveal any tumor deriving from the sympathetic nervous system. ¹¹C-HED PET/CT detected 80 of 81 totally depicted tumor lesions (sensitivity, 0.99; soft tissue, 61; bone, 19). ¹²³I-MIBG SPECT/CT detected 75 of 81 lesions (sensitivity, 0.93; soft tissue, 56; bone, 19). With both methods, there were no false-positive lesions. The tumor-to-background contrast of ¹¹C-HED uptake was higher in comparison with ¹²³I-MIBG uptake in 26 lesions (0.32; soft tissue, 18; bone, 8), equal in 39 lesions (0.48; soft tissue, 30; bone, 9), and lower than ¹²³I-MIBG uptake in 16 lesions (0.20; soft tissue, 14; bone, 2). Conclusion: Whole-body imaging using ¹¹C-HED PET/CT is feasible in the clinical setting of patients with tumors of the sympathetic nervous system. ¹¹C-HED PET/CT detected more tumor lesions than ¹²³I-MIBG SPECT/CT. However, tumor-to-background contrast of ¹¹C-HED in lesions can be higher, equal, or lower compared with ¹²³I-MIBG.

Key Words: ¹¹C-HED PET/CT • ¹²³I-MIBG SPECT/CT • neuroblastoma • pheochromocytoma • sympathetic nervous system tumors

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