Abstract
The localization of carcinoids in the gastrointestinal tract is frequently difficult if not impossible with the imaging procedures used to date. It is reported on a patient with metastasizing carcinoid in whom various imaging procedures were not successful in detecting the primary tumor. Due to the importance of primary tumor proof for potential curative surgical therapy, a whole-body positron emission tomography with F-18-DOPA was performed. PET enabled localization of a potential primary tumor in the ileum. Moreover, in addition to the known abdominal lymph node and liver metastases, it detected a mediastinal lymph node metastasis and a pulmonary metastasis. F-18-DOPA whole-body PET may be a very promising imaging approach to the localization and staging of gastrointestinal carcinoids.
MeSH terms
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Carcinoid Tumor / diagnostic imaging*
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Carcinoid Tumor / pathology
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Dihydroxyphenylalanine / analogs & derivatives*
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Dihydroxyphenylalanine / pharmacokinetics
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Fluorine Radioisotopes* / pharmacokinetics
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Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
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Humans
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Indium Radioisotopes
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Liver Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
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Liver Neoplasms / secondary*
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Lung Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
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Lung Neoplasms / secondary*
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Lymphatic Metastasis / diagnostic imaging*
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Receptors, Somatostatin / analysis
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Somatostatin / analogs & derivatives
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Tissue Distribution
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Tomography, Emission-Computed*
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Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
Substances
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Fluorine Radioisotopes
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Indium Radioisotopes
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Receptors, Somatostatin
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fluorodopa F 18
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Somatostatin
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Dihydroxyphenylalanine
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pentetreotide