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Case Reports
. 2013 Apr;28(2):108-11.
doi: 10.4103/0972-3919.118236.

Somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in the evaluation of opsoclonus-myoclonus ataxia syndrome

Affiliations
Case Reports

Somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in the evaluation of opsoclonus-myoclonus ataxia syndrome

Prathamesh Joshi et al. Indian J Nucl Med. 2013 Apr.

Abstract

Opsoclonus-myoclonus ataxia (OMA) syndrome is the most common paraneoplastic neurological syndrome of childhood, associated with occult neuroblastoma in 20%-50% of all cases. OMA is the initial presentation of neuroblastoma in 1%-3% of children. Conventional radiological imaging approaches include chest radiography and abdominal computed tomography (CT). Nuclear medicine techniques, in form of (123)I/(131)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy have been incorporated in various diagnostic algorithms for evaluation of OMA. We describe use of somatostatin receptor PET/CT with (68)Gallium- DOTA-DPhe(1), Tyr(3)-octreotate (DOTATATE) in diagnosis of neuroblastoma in two cases of OMA.

Keywords: 68Gallium DOTATATE; Occult neuroblastoma; opsoclonus-myoclonus ataxia; somatostatin receptor PET/CT.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A 2-year-old male child underwent 68Gallium-DOTA-DPhe1, Tyr3- octreotatephoton emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for evaluation of opsoclonus-myoclonus ataxia syndrome. The scan shows increased tracer uptake in left paravertebral region at the level of T3-T5 vertebrae (black arrow in a). CT reveals a soft-tissue density lesion with specks of calcification within (b, red arrow). Fused PET/CT demonstrates increased tracer uptake in this lesion, SUVmax of uptake was 10.1 (c, white arrow). Physiological tracer distribution was noted in the spleen, liver, kidneys and urinary bladder. The paravertebral lesion was found to be neuroblastoma on surgical resection
Figure 2
Figure 2
Somatostatin receptor photon emission tomography/computed tomography (CT) of a 2½-old male child with opsoclonus-myoclonus ataxia, revealed intense tracer uptake in chest (a, long arrow), corresponding to a soft-tissue density mass with specks of calcification within, in the paravertebral region at T1-T4 levels (b, long white arrow). These findings suggested diagnosis of neuroblastoma. Multiple areas of increased tracer uptake seen in the bone marrow of long bones and axial skeleton with no CT demonstrable abnormality (short arrows in a) suggesting marrow metastases. Representative uptake in bone marrow of bilateral femora is shown(c, short white arrows)

References

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