title: Thallium-avid cerebral radiation necrosis.
abstract: Thallium imaging has been proposed as a noninvasive method to distinguish recurrent tumor from cerebral radiation necrosis in patients who have undergone radiation therapy. Previous reports have supported the intuitive hypothesis that metabolically active tumor tissue would accumulate Tl-201 to a much higher degree than nonviable necrotic tissue. A case of biopsy-proven cerebral radiation necrosis is presented demonstrating a degree of Tl-201 avidity previously thought to be diagnostic of recurrent tumor. Based on this finding, it is concluded that a high degree of Tl-201 uptake does not exclude the diagnosis of cerebral radiation necrosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington 40536.
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Moody
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hodes
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thornsberry
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002538:Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D016634:Radiosurgery; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes