PET hydroxyephedrine imaging of neuroblastoma.

UNLABELLED: The goals of this investigation were to characterize the uptake of 11C-hydroxyephedrine (HED) in neuroblastoma and to determine the feasibility and potential advantages of utilizing this compound as a tumor imaging agent.

METHODS: Seven patients with known or subsequently proven neuroblastoma were studied. Each patient underwent PET scanning with 11C-HED. Six of seven patients underwent scintigraphy with [123I]meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG), and two patients were also studied with [18F]FDG PET. For six patients, CT or MR images were available for comparison.

RESULTS: Neuroblastomas were located by PET scanning with 11C-HED in all seven patients. The uptake of HED into neuroblastomas was rapid; tumors were evident on images within 5 min postintravenous injection. Those lesions in the field of view of the PET camera were also identified on [123I]MIBG scintigraphic images. In two patients, tumor deposits in the abdomen were better visualized with MIBG scintigraphy due to relatively less hepatic accumulation of MIBG than HED.

CONCLUSION: PET scanning with HED for neuroblastoma results in high quality functional images of the tumors that can be obtained within minutes following injection.