HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH RSS TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Abstract Full Text Full Text (PDF) CME Activity Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in JNM Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Jager, P. L. Articles by Gulenchyn, K. Y. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Jager, P. L. Articles by Gulenchyn, K. Y.

6-L-¹⁸F-Fluorodihydroxyphenylalanine PET in Neuroendocrine Tumors: Basic Aspects and Emerging Clinical Applications^*

¹ Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hamilton Health Sciences/McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; and ² Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

View larger version (6K): [in this window] [in a new window]   FIGURE 1.  Chemical structure of 18F-DOPA.

View larger version (16K): [in this window] [in a new window]   FIGURE 2.  Catecholamine and serotonin synthesis pathways. ADR = adrenaline; DA = dopamine; DBH = dopamine-β-hydroxylase; DOPAC = 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid; 5-HIAA = 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid; 5-HT = 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin); 5-HTP = 5-hydroxytryptophan; HVA = homovanillic acid; M = metanephrine; MAO = monoamine oxidase; MHPG = 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethylene glycol; 3-MT = 3-methoxytyramine; NM = normetanephrine; NORADR = noradrenaline; PHE = phenylalanine; PNMT = phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase; TRP = tryptophan; TYR = tyrosine; VMA = vanillylmandelic acid.

View larger version (64K): [in this window] [in a new window]   FIGURE 3.  Normal 18F-DOPA PET projection image with carbidopa pretreatment, showing major uptake in kidneys, ureter, and bladder and minor uptake in striatum, myocardium, liver, and muscles.

View larger version (51K): [in this window] [in a new window]   FIGURE 4.  18F-DOPA PET projection image with carbidopa pretreatment in patient with carcinoid in several locations (abdomen, liver, mediastinum, and skeleton), confirming intense uptake and visualization even of very small lesions.

View larger version (50K): [in this window] [in a new window]   FIGURE 5.  18F-DOPA PET (A), CT (B), and fused PET/CT (C) in patient with unusually large liver mass (thin arrows) with central necrosis, which was revealed to be carcinoid. PET also detected primary tumor (thick arrows) in lower left abdomen.

View larger version (66K): [in this window] [in a new window]   FIGURE 6.  18F-DOPA coronal view after carbidopa pretreatment in patient with metastasized carcinoid, showing heterogeneity of receptor expression and metabolic activity. (A) 18F-DOPA PET showing high uptake in entire process. (B) Considerably heterogeneous 111In-octreotide uptake. Apparently, medial part of this tumor (arrows) had lost most of its somatostatin receptor expression while retaining metabolic activity and 18F-DOPA uptake.

View larger version (62K): [in this window] [in a new window]   FIGURE 7.  18F-DOPA PET projection image with carbidopa pretreatment in patient with primary malignant islet cell tumor located in tail of pancreas and several liver metastases.

View larger version (82K): [in this window] [in a new window]   FIGURE 8.  18F-DOPA PET with CT, showing PET projection (A) and transverse PET (B), coronal PET (C), transverse CT (D), and coronal CT (E) views of patient with biochemical evidence of recurrent pheochromocytoma after previous adrenalectomy. Uptake can be seen in very ventrally located rounded lesion. Only after PET was combined with previously acquired CT (D and E) could this lesion (arrows) be clearly identified as site of recurrence.

View larger version (91K): [in this window] [in a new window]   FIGURE 9.  18F-DOPA PET in patient with suspected recurrent medullary thyroid cancer, based on increased calcitonin level. 18F-DOPA PET (A) and 18F-FDG PET (B) showed clear 18F-DOPA uptake in liver metastases in absence of 18F-FDG uptake. Small area of 18F-FDG uptake in left supraclavicular region was result of nonspecific muscle activity.

View larger version (57K): [in this window] [in a new window]   FIGURE 10.  18F-DOPA PET projection image (A) and transverse slice through pancreas (B) without carbidopa pretreatment in infant with congenital hyperinsulinism. PET suggested focal lesion (arrows) in body of pancreas, which was confirmed surgically.

View larger version (73K): [in this window] [in a new window]   FIGURE 11.  18F-DOPA PET projection image in patient with Cushing's disease and in whom all imaging had failed to find source of corticotropin overproduction. PET showed significant bone marrow uptake, which proved to be metastatic prostate cancer with neuroendocrine differentiation after biopsy.