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11C-methionine PET for the diagnosis and management of recurrent pituitary adenomas

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Abstract

Purpose

The detection of recurrent pituitary adenoma by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is rendered uncertain by the tissue remodelling that follows surgery or radiotherapy. We aimed to evaluate the contribution of PET with 11C-methionine (MET-PET) in the detection and management of recurrent pituitary adenoma.

Methods

Thirty-three patients with pituitary adenoma were evaluated postoperatively by MET-PET, either because of biological evidence of active residual tumour or because of MRI demonstration of non-functional adenoma growth. We studied 24 secreting adenomas and nine non-functional adenomas.

Results

In 30 patients, MET-PET detected abnormally hypermetabolic tissue. In 14 out of these, MRI did not differentiate between residual tumour and scar formation. In nine of these 14 cases, major therapeutic decisions were undertaken (radiosurgery and surgery). In another group of 16 patients, both MET-PET and MRI detected abnormal tissue. In one case, neither MRI nor MET-PET detected adenomatous tissue. Finally, abnormal tissue was detected in two patients on MRI solely. In these two cases, failure of MET-PET to reveal the adenoma was attributable to concomitant inhibitory therapy. The sensitivity of MET-PET and MRI varied as a function of the tumour type: all non-functional adenomas were localised by both modalities, while MET-PET detected all adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting adenomas whereas MRI depicted only one of these eight lesions. Fifteen out of 17 patients treated by radiosurgery showed clinical improvement after treatment.

Conclusion

We suggest that MET-PET is a sensitive technique complementary to MRI for the detection of residual or recurrent pituitary adenomas. It should gain a place in the efficient management of these tumours.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. PET-Biomedical Cyclotron Unit and Department of Nuclear Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Erasme Hospital, Brussels, Belgium

    B. N. T. Tang, D. Wikler, N. Dumarey & S. Goldman

  2. Department of Neurosurgery, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Erasme Hospital, Brussels, Belgium

    M. Levivier & N. Massager

  3. Department of Endocrinology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Erasme Hospital, Brussels, Belgium

    M. Heureux & B. Corvilain

  4. Department of Radiotherapy, Jules Bordet Institute, Bordet, Brussels, Belgium

    D. Devriendt

  5. Department of Neuroradiology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Erasme Hospital, Brussels, Belgium

    P. David

  6. Service of Nuclear Medicine, Erasme Hospital, Route de Lennik 808, 1070, Brussels, Belgium

    B. N. T. Tang

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  1. B. N. T. Tang
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Correspondence to B. N. T. Tang.

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Tang, B.N.T., Levivier, M., Heureux, M. et al. 11C-methionine PET for the diagnosis and management of recurrent pituitary adenomas. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 33, 169–178 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-005-1882-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-005-1882-0

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