title: 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT in the Localization of Head and Neck Paragangliomas Compared with Other Functional Imaging Modalities and CT/MRI.
abstract: Pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas overexpress somatostatin receptors, and recent studies have already shown excellent results in the localization of sympathetic succinate dehydrogenase complex, subunit B, mutation-related metastatic pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas using (68)Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT. Therefore, the goal of our study was to assess the clinical utility of this functional imaging modality in parasympathetic head and neck paragangliomas (HNPGLs) compared with anatomic imaging with CT/MRI and other functional imaging modalities, including (18)F-fluorohydroyphenylalanine ((18)F-FDOPA) PET/CT, currently the gold standard in the functional imaging of HNPGLs.
  
  
  METHODS
  (68)Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT was prospectively performed in 20 patients with HNPGLs. All patients also underwent (18)F-FDOPA PET/CT, (18)F-FDG PET/CT, and CT/MRI, with 18 patients also undergoing (18)F-fluorodopamine ((18)F-FDA) PET/CT. (18)F-FDOPA PET/CT and CT/MRI served as the imaging comparators.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-eight lesions in 20 patients were detected, with (18)F-FDOPA PET/CT identifying 37 of 38 and CT/MRI identifying 23 of 38 lesions (P < 0.01). All 38 and an additional 7 lesions (P = 0.016) were detected on (68)Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT. Significantly fewer lesions were identified by (18)F-FDG PET/CT (24/38, P < 0.01) and (18)F-FDA PET/CT (10/34, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  (68)Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT identified more lesions than other imaging modalities. With the results of the present study, and the increasing availability and use of DOTA analogs in the therapy of neuroendocrine tumors, we expect that (68)Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT will become the preferred functional imaging modality for HNPGLs in the near future.
authors.affiliation: Program in Adult and Reproductive Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland Section of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Division, Radiology & Imaging Sciences, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Clara C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, La Timone University Hospital, CERIMED, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Taieb
authors.affiliation: Section of Neuroradiology, Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Patronas
authors.affiliation: Positron Emission Tomography Department, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Corina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Millo
authors.affiliation: Program in Adult and Reproductive Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Karen T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: Program in Adult and Reproductive Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nambuba
authors.affiliation: Positron Emission Tomography Department, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Herscovitch
authors.affiliation: Endocrine Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; and.
authors.forename: Samira M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sadowski
authors.affiliation: Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Antonio T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Fojo
authors.affiliation: Section of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Buchmann
authors.affiliation: Endocrine Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland; and.
authors.forename: Electron
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kebebew
authors.affiliation: Program in Adult and Reproductive Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland karel@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pacak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D010235:Paraganglioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C491545:SDHD protein, human; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; C043437:fluorodopa F 18; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; C513399:gallium Ga 68 dotatate; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase
keywords: 18F-FDOPA; 68Ga-DOTATATE; head and neck paraganglioma