title: PET versus SPECT in distinguishing radiation necrosis from tumor recurrence in the brain.
abstract: Two cases of postsurgical brain tumor evaluation in which MRI was inconclusive are discussed. Functional imaging techniques, such as FDG-PET and 201TI SPECT, were used in both cases for distinguishing radiation necrosis from tumor recurrence. These methods proved to be complimentary. For Patient 1, FDG-PET showed more limitations compared to 201TI SPECT. FDG-PET results on the other hand, were consistent with the final diagnosis and the SPECT image was false positive for tumor recurrence in Patient 2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Buchpiguel
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Alavi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alavi
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Kenyon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D003847:Deoxyglucose