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Case Reports
. 2018 Jul-Sep;17(3):195-197.
doi: 10.4103/wjnm.WJNM_38_17.

Metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma demonstrating intense uptake on 68Ga-DOTATATE positron emission tomography: Three case reports and a review of the literature

David P Nadebaum  1 , Sze Ting Lee  1   2 , Mehrdad Nikfarjam  3 , Andrew M Scott  1   2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma demonstrating intense uptake on 68Ga-DOTATATE positron emission tomography: Three case reports and a review of the literature

David P Nadebaum et al. World J Nucl Med. 2018 Jul-Sep.

Abstract

68Ga-DOTATATE positron emission tomography (PET) is a molecular imaging technology which has shown superiority over 111In-octreotide scanning for the detection and staging of neuroendocrine tumors. We report three patients with pancreatic masses that were ultimately diagnosed as clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) metastases on histopathology. During their initial diagnostic assessment, the three patients underwent both 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) and 68Ga-DOTATATE PET. While all three patients' lesions showed variable 18F-FDG avidity, uptake on 68Ga-DOTATATE PET was comparatively intense. The small case series illustrates the need to consider ccRCC in the differential diagnosis of 68Ga-DOTATATE avid lesions.

Keywords: 68Ga-DOTATATE; kidney neoplasms; positron emission tomography; renal cell carcinoma; somatostatin receptors.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Transaxial positron emission tomography/computed tomography sections demonstrating differential radiotracer uptake within the pancreatic body lesion (arrowed). The mass was photopenic on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (a) but demonstrated intense 68Ga-DOTATATE uptake (b)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Fused positron emission tomography/computed tomography coronal section demonstrating intense 68Ga-DOTATATE uptake within case two's multifocal pancreatic lesion, which was subsequently diagnosed as metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Figure 3
Figure 3
Maximum intensity projection image (a) and three transaxial positron emission tomography and fused slices (b-d) demonstrating 68Ga-DOTATATE avid clear cell renal cell carcinoma metastases involving the left infraclavicular region (b), right lung (c), and lower right chest wall (d)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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