title: (18)F-DOPA Positron Emission Tomography in Medulloblastoma: 2 Case Reports.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medulloblastoma (MDB) is an aggressive embryonal brain tumor, with underlying altered genetics and biological pathways that account for very heterogeneous natural histories and clinical behaviors. Positron emission tomography (PET) using radiolabeled amino acids provides important metabolic information for the diagnosis of cerebral glioma but only a few data are available on amino acid PET in MDB. In particular, no cases of MDB imaging with 6-[(18)F]-fluoro-L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (F-DOPA) have previously been described.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two patients with different histologic subtypes of MDB were referred for F-DOPA PET to define the extent and metabolic degree of their diseases. The patients had a newly diagnosed large-cell/anaplastic MDB and a fourth relapse of classic MDB, respectively. F-DOPA PET was unremarkable in the first case; F-DOPA uptake was low in the second patient with the tumor/background ratio as high as 1.29. Comparison was made with magnetic resonance imaging, which showed fluid-attenuated inversion recovery positive diseases. Aggressive tumor growth was shown in the clinical course of both patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 2 cases reported here suggest that sensitivity of F-DOPA PET in MDB can be low. However, more comprehensive data are needed to conclude on the overall accuracy of F-DOPA PET in MDB.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: f.cicone@iol.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cicone
authors.affiliation: Unit of Pediatric Oncology, Department of Paediatrics and Infantile Neuropsychiatry, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clerico
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiotherapy, Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Minniti
authors.affiliation: Unit of Pediatric Oncology, Department of Paediatrics and Infantile Neuropsychiatry, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paiano
authors.affiliation: Unit of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carideo
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiotherapy, Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scaringi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Karl-Josef
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Langen
authors.affiliation: Unit of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Surgical and Medical Sciences and Translational Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scopinaro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C043437:fluorodopa F 18; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine
keywords: Amino acid PET; Case report; DOPA; Large neutral amino acid transporters; Medulloblastoma; Molecular imaging; Pediatric brain tumors