Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2022) 89 C29 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.89.C29

1Section on Medical Neuroendocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Dr., Bldg. 10, Room 1E-3140, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA; 2Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Dr., Bldg. 10, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA; 3Nuclear Medicine Division, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Dr., Bldg. 10, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA; 4Positron Emission Tomography Department, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Dr., Bldg. 10, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA; 5Molecular Imaging Program, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Dr., Bldg. 10, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA; 6Endocrine Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, 10 Center Dr., Bldg. 10, Room 4-5952, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA; 7Department of Nuclear Medicine, La Timone University Hospital, CERIMED, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France; 8Nuclear Medicine, Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; 9Molecular Imaging and Therapy Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, MD, 10065, USA.


Background: The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate and compare the detection rates of 18F-L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (18F-FDOPA), 68Ga-DOTATATE, 18F-FDG, and 18F-fluorodopamine (18F-FDA) PET or positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the detection of VHL-related pheochromocytoma (PHEO).

Methods: Between October 2007 and October 2021, twelve patients (females: males, 5:7; mean age, 27.9±13.6 years) prospectively underwent 18F-DOPA PET (n=2) or PET/CT (n=7), 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT (n=6), 18F-FDG PET/CT (n= 11), and 18F-FDA PET (n=2) or PET/CT (n=2) with VHL-related PHEOs. Additionally, these patients also underwent CT (n=12) and MRI (n=11). The mean duration between CT and 18F-FDOPA was 10±15 days, between CT and 68Ga-DOTATATE 7±10 days, between CT and 18F-FDG 5±10 days, between CT and 18F-FDA 3±2 days, and between CT and MRI 2±4 days. The PET or PET/CT and CT and MRI scans were evaluated by a nuclear medicine physician and body radiologist. All but one patient underwent surgical resection of PHEOs, and the histopathologic diagnosis served as a reference standard. PHEO detection rates were compared for all of the imaging modalities. For statistical analysis, the McNemar test was used to compare detection rates between the imaging modalities. Two-sided p values <0.05 were considered significant.

Results: Twelve patients had 19 PHEOs [3 unilateral (2, right) and 6 bilateral). 18/19 tumors underwent surgical resections and were proved to be PHEOs on histopathologic examination and 1 PHEO is awaiting surgery in whom a clinical diagnosis of PHEO was made. 18F-FDOPA PET or PET/CT demonstrated a PHEO detection rate of 12/14 [85.7%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 57.2-98.2%]. 18F-FDG PET/CT, 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT, 18F-FDA PET or PET/CT, and CT, and MRI showed PHEO detection rates of 16/17 (94.1%, 95% CI: 71.3-99.6%), 5/9 (55.6%, 95% CI: 21.2-86.3%), 4/6 (66.7%, 95% CI: 22.3-95.7%), 17/19 (89.5%, 95% CI: 66.9-98.7%), and 17/17 (100%, 95% CI: 80.5-100%), respectively. The difference in detection rates between none of the imaging modalities achieved a statistical significance (P<0.05).

Conclusions: The study was performed in a small cohort of in VHL-related PHEO demonstrating MRI, an anatomic imaging modality with the highest detection rate whereas amongst functional PET or PET/CT imaging, 18F-FDG showed the highest detection rate followed by 18F-FDOPA, 18F-FDA, and 68Ga-DOTATATE. However, no difference in detection rates by various imaging modalities was found and hence, multicentric clinical trials needs to be conducted to support the statistical relevance as it was not seen in this study.

Abstract ID 21581

Article tools

My recent searches

No recent searches.