title: Cerebral necrosis after radiotherapy and/or intraarterial chemotherapy for brain tumors: PET and neuropathologic studies.
abstract: Cerebral necrosis after radiotherapy for brain tumors is being recognized as a problem more common than previously estimated. Distinction between this iatrogenic complication and tumor recurrence cannot be made by either CT or MR imaging. By using positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-deoxyglucose (FDG) we were able to reach a diagnosis of radiation necrosis, later verified, in 10 of 95 patients referred for the purpose of differentiating tumor recurrence from necrosis. The critical PET-FDG feature was focal hypometabolism in the area of necrosis, which contrasted with the hypermetabolism associated with the residual/recurrent tumor. In addition, four cases of cerebral necrosis after supraophthalmic, intraarterial chemotherapy (BCNU) were studied with the PET-FDG method. The area of chemotherapy damage was also characterized by marked hypometabolism. Histology revealed both similarities and differences between radio- and chemonecrosis.
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Section, National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Chiro
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oldfield
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Michele
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Patronas
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Doppman
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: C V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Kufta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002330:Carmustine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D003847:Deoxyglucose; D002330:Carmustine