PET versus SPECT in distinguishing radiation necrosis from tumor recurrence in the brain

J Nucl Med. 1995 Jan;36(1):159-64.

Abstract

Two cases of postsurgical brain tumor evaluation in which MRI was inconclusive are discussed. Functional imaging techniques, such as FDG-PET and 201TI SPECT, were used in both cases for distinguishing radiation necrosis from tumor recurrence. These methods proved to be complimentary. For Patient 1, FDG-PET showed more limitations compared to 201TI SPECT. FDG-PET results on the other hand, were consistent with the final diagnosis and the SPECT image was false positive for tumor recurrence in Patient 2.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Clinical Conference
  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging*
  • Brain / pathology
  • Brain Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Deoxyglucose / analogs & derivatives
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Fluorine Radioisotopes
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Necrosis / diagnostic imaging
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / diagnostic imaging*
  • Radiation Injuries / diagnostic imaging*
  • Thallium Radioisotopes
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed*
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

Substances

  • Fluorine Radioisotopes
  • Thallium Radioisotopes
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Deoxyglucose