title: Prospective evaluation of ⁶⁸Ga-DOTA-NOC PET-CT in phaeochromocytoma and paraganglioma: preliminary results from a single centre study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the role of (68)Ga-labelled [1, 4, 7, 10-tetraazacyclododecane-1, 4, 7, 10-tetraacetic acid]-1-NaI(3)-Octreotide ((68)Ga-DOTA-NOC) whole body positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) as a functional imaging approach for phaeochromocytoma and paraganglioma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five unrelated patients (Median age-34.4 years; range: 15-71) were evaluated in this prospective study. PET-CT was performed after injection of 132-222 MBq of (68)Ga-DOTA-NOC. Images were evaluated by two experienced nuclear medicine physicians both qualitatively as well as quantitatively (standardised uptake value-SUVmax). In addition we compared the findings with (131)I Metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy, which was available for 25 patients. Histopathology and/or conventional imaging with biochemical markers were taken as the reference standard.
  
  
  RESULTS
  44 lesions were detected on (68)Ga-DOTA-NOC PET-CT imaging with an additional detection of 12 lesions not previously known, leading to a change in management of 6 patients. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 100%, 85.7%, and 97.1% on a per patient basis and 100%, 85.7% and 98% on per lesion basis, respectively.(131)I MIBG scintigraphy was concordant with (68)Ga-DOTA-NOC PET-CT in 16 patients and false negative in 9 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  (68)Ga-DOTA-NOC PET-CT is highly sensitive and specific for the detection of phaeochromoctyomas and paragangliomas. It seems better than (131)I MIBG scintigraphy for this purpose.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • ( 68 ) Ga-DOTA-NOC PET-CT seems useful in patients with phaeochromocytoma and paraganglioma. • This prospective single centre study showed that it has high diagnostic accuracy. • (68) Ga-DOTA-NOC PET-CT seems superior to (131) I-MIBG in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India.
authors.forename: Niraj
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Naswa
authors.forename: Punit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Aftab Hasan
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Nazar
authors.forename: Krishan Kant
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Ariachery C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ammini
authors.forename: Arun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.forename: Chandrasekhar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D010235:Paraganglioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: C504894:68Ga-DOTANOC; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals