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

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: jnumed.106.035915v1 48/7/1077    most recent 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 Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hadi, M. Articles by Carrasquillo, J. A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hadi, M. Articles by Carrasquillo, J. A.

Brown Fat Imaging with ¹⁸F-6-Fluorodopamine PET/CT, ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT, and ¹²³I-MIBG SPECT: A Study of Patients Being Evaluated for Pheochromocytoma

¹ Department of Nuclear Medicine, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; and ² Pediatric and Reproductive Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland

Correspondence: For correspondence contact: Jorge A. Carrasquillo, MD, 1275 York Ave., New York, NY 10021. E-mail: carrasj1{at}mskcc.org

Several radiopharmaceuticals such as ¹⁸F-FDG, ¹²³I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG), and ^99mTc-tetrofosmin have demonstrated uptake in brown adipose tissue (BAT). It is important to recognize these normal variants so that they are not misinterpreted as a significant pathologic state. In addition, these radiopharmaceuticals may shed light on BAT physiology. ¹⁸F-6-fluorodopamine (F-DA) is being used as a PET radiopharmaceutical to image adrenergic innervation and suspected pheochromocytoma. Past reports have suggested that BAT is increased in pheochromocytoma patients. Methods: The images of 96 patients evaluated with ¹⁸F-F-DA or ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT for known or suspected pheochromocytoma were reviewed retrospectively to determine whether localized uptake of a pattern typically associated with BAT was present. When available, contemporaneous images obtained using ¹²³I-MIBG were also reviewed for the presence of BAT. Results: Of 67 patients imaged with ¹⁸F-F-DA, BAT was found in 17.9%. Of 83 patients imaged with ¹⁸F-FDG, 19.2% had BAT. Discordant findings related to uptake in BAT were often seen in patients studied with ¹⁸F-FDG, ¹⁸F-F-DA, or ¹²³I-MIBG. Overall, 26 (27.0%) of 96 patients showed BAT on at least 1 of the 3 imaging modalities. Conclusion: ¹⁸F-F-DA can image BAT, most likely by localizing to sympathetic innervations in a manner similar to ¹²³I-MIBG. Patients with pheochromocytoma may have a greater BAT tissue mass or activation because of elevated levels of circulating catecholamines. Quantitative PET with ¹⁸F-FDG and ¹⁸F-F-DA may have a role in in vivo studies of BAT physiology in humans or animal models.

Key Words: PET • PET/CT • brown fat • ¹⁸F-FDG • ¹²³I-MIBG • ¹⁸F-fluorodopamine

COPYRIGHT © 2007 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine, Inc.

Related articles in JNM:

This Month in JNM

JNM 2007 48: 11a-12a. [Full Text]