title: Increased L-[1-11 C] leucine uptake in the leptomeningeal angioma of sturge-weber syndrome: a PET study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We used L-[1-(11) C]leucine (LEU) positron emission tomography (PET) to measure amino acid uptake in children with Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS), and to relate amino acid uptake measures with glucose metabolism.
  
  
  METHODS
  LEU and 2-deoxy-2[(18) F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) PET were performed in 7 children (age: 5 months-13 years) with unilateral SWS. Asymmetries of LEU uptake in the posterior brain region, underlying the angioma and in frontal cortex, were measured and correlated with glucose hypometabolism. Kinetic analysis of LEU uptake was performed in 4 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increased LEU standard uptake value (SUV, mean: 15.1%) was found in the angioma region in 6 patients, and smaller increases in LEU SUV (11.5%) were seen in frontal cortex in 4 of the 6 patients, despite normal glucose metabolism in frontal regions. High LEU SUV was due to both increased tracer transport (3/4 patients) and high protein synthesis rates (2/4). FDG SUV asymmetries in the angioma region were inversely related to LEU SUV asymmetries (r=-.83, P= .042).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased amino acid uptake in the angioma region and also in less affected frontal regions may provide a marker of pathological mechanisms contributing to chronic brain damage in children with SWS.
authors.affiliation: Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Bálint
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alkonyi
authors.forename: Harry T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Chugani
authors.forename: Otto
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Muzik
authors.forename: Diane C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Chugani
authors.forename: Senthil K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sundaram
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Kupsky
authors.forename: Carlos E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.forename: Csaba
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Juhász
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007930:Leucine / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000378:metabolism; D013341:Sturge-Weber Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D007930:Leucine