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. 2014 Jul 10;48(3):228-34.
doi: 10.2478/raon-2013-0075. eCollection 2014 Sep.

Incidental uptake of (18)F-fluorocholine (FCH) in the head or in the neck of patients with prostate cancer

Marina Hodolic  1 , Virginie Huchet  2 , Sona Balogova  3 , Laure Michaud  4 , Khaldoun Kerrou  2 , Valérie Nataf  5 , Marino Cimitan  6 , Jure Fettich  1 , Jean-Noël Talbot  4
Affiliations

Incidental uptake of (18)F-fluorocholine (FCH) in the head or in the neck of patients with prostate cancer

Marina Hodolic et al. Radiol Oncol. .

Abstract

Background: Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) with (18)F-fluorocholine (FCH) is routinely performed in patients with prostate cancer. In this clinical context, foci of FCH uptake in the head or in the neck were considered as incidentalomas, except for those suggestive of multiple bone metastases.

Results: In 8 patients the incidental focus corresponded to a benign tumour. The standard of truth was histology in two cases, correlative imaging with MRI in four cases, (99m)Tc-SestaMIBI scintigraphy, ultrasonography and biochemistry in one case and biochemistry including PTH assay in one case. The final diagnosis of benign tumours consisted in 3 pituitary adenomas, 2 meningiomas, 2 hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands and 1 thyroid adenoma. Malignancy was proven histologically in 2 other patients: 1 papillary carcinoma of the thyroid and 1 cerebellar metastasis.

Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, FCH uptake by pituitary adenomas or hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands has never been described previously. We thus discuss whether there might be a future indication for FCH PET/CT when one such tumour is already known or suspected: to detect a residual or recurrent pituitary adenoma after surgery, to guide surgery or radiotherapy of a meningioma or to localise a hyperfunctioning parathyroid gland. In these potential indications, comparative studies with reference PET tracers or with (99m)Tc-sestaMIBI in case of hyperparathyroidism could be undertaken.

Keywords: FCH, PET/CT; hyperparathyroidism; incidentaloma; meningioma; pituitary adenoma; thyroid adenoma.

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Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.
Positron emission tomography-computed tomography axial slice: Macroadenoma of pituitary gland that incidentally took-up 18F-fluorocholine (SUVmax 3.7).
FIGURE 2.
FIGURE 2.
Positron emission tomography-computed tomography axial slice: Meningioma in the anterior cranial fossa that incidentally took-up 18F-fluorocholine (SUVmax 3.7).
FIGURE 3.
FIGURE 3.
Positron emission tomography-computed tomography coronal slice: Adenoma of the parathyroid that incidentally took-up 18F-fluorocholine (SUVmax 3.4).
FIGURE 4.
FIGURE 4.
Positron emission tomography-computed tomography axial slice: Thyroid adenoma that incidentally took-up 18F-fluorocholine (SUVmax 3.3).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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