The role of 6-[18F]fluorodopamine positron emission tomography in the localization of adrenal pheochromocytoma associated with von Hippel-Lindau syndrome.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

[(123/131)I]metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy is considered as the gold standard in the localization of pheochromocytoma. However, this method has less optimal sensitivity for the detection of pheochromocytoma associated with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL). Our preliminary results suggest that this is partially due to the low expression of cell membrane norepinephrine transporter system in VHL-related pheochromocytoma cells. Another probable cause may be the low affinity that [(123/131)I]MIBG has for these cells. Recently, 6-[(18)F]fluorodopamine ([(18)F]DA) positron emission tomography (PET) has been introduced as a novel functional imaging modality with high sensitivity for pheochromocytoma. Therefore, we investigated whether [(18)F]DA PET is more effective than [(123/131)I]MIBG scintigraphy in the diagnostic localization of VHL-related adrenal pheochromocytoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

In this study, we evaluated seven VHL patients in whom adrenal pheochromocytomas were confirmed by histopathology results. Adrenal pheochromocytomas were localized using computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), [(123/131)I]MIBG scintigraphy and [(18)F]DA PET.

RESULTS:

[(18)F]DA PET localized pheochromocytoma in all the seven patients, as did in CT. In contrast, three out of the seven had negative results utilizing [(123/131)I]MIBG scintigraphy and one out of the six patients had negative MRI results.

CONCLUSIONS:

[(18)F]DA PET was found to show more promising results when compared with [(123/131)I]MIBG scintigraphy in the diagnostic localization of VHL-related adrenal pheochromocytoma, with a 100% rate of localization. Thus, [(18)F]DA PET in conjunction with CT/MRI should be considered as an effective method for the proper localization of VHL-related adrenal pheochromocytoma.

• Authors: Priya Kaji, Jorge A Carrasquillo, W Marston Linehan, Clara C Chen, Graeme Eisenhofer, Peter A Pinto, Edwin W Lai, Karel Pacak
• Journal: European journal of endocrinology (Eur J Endocrinol) Vol. 156 Issue 4 Pg. 483-7 (Apr 2007) ISSN: 0804-4643 [Print] England
• PMID: 17389464 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Evaluation Study, Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural)

Chemical References

• Fluorine Radioisotopes
• Radiopharmaceuticals
• 3-Iodobenzylguanidine
• 6-fluorodopamine
• Dopamine

Topics

• 3-Iodobenzylguanidine
• Adrenal Gland Neoplasms (complications, diagnosis, diagnostic imaging)
• Adult
• Dopamine (analogs & derivatives)
• Female
• Fluorine Radioisotopes
• Humans
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Pheochromocytoma (complications, diagnosis, diagnostic imaging)
• Positron-Emission Tomography
• Radiopharmaceuticals
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• von Hippel-Lindau Disease (complications)