title: Iodine-123-metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy in patients with chemodectomas of the head and neck region.
abstract: While studying the uptake of iodine-123-metaiodobenzylguanidine ([123I]MIBG) in chemodectomas, we coincidentally detected catecholamine secreting tumors in 5 out of 14 patients. In three of these cases, a norepinephrine secreting abdominal paraganglioma was subsequently removed. One patient had a norepinephrine secreting chemodectoma and one had a dopamine secreting chemodectoma. Prior to [123I]MIBG imaging and urinary catecholamine measurements, endocrine activity was suspected in only one of these five patients. Apart from these five cases, two other patients showed elevated catecholamine secretion and abnormal abdominal [123I]MIBG concentrations. However, these two patients were not surgically explored, because of normal computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MRI) studies. We suspect that catecholamine-secreting tumors are more common in patients with chemodectomas than is assumed in the literature, and we therefore recommend urinary catecholamine screening for all patients with chemodectomas. In case of elevated catecholamine secretion, MIBG scintigraphy is indicated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology (Division of Nuclear Medicine), University Hospital Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: van Gils
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: van der Mey
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Hoogma
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Falke
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Moolenaar
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Pauwels
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: van Kroonenburgh
mesh_terms: D019797:3-Iodobenzylguanidine; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D007462:Iodobenzenes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010236:Paraganglioma, Extra-Adrenal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery / Q000652:urine; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D014642:Vanilmandelic Acid / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D007462:Iodobenzenes; D019797:3-Iodobenzylguanidine; D014642:Vanilmandelic Acid