Uptake of Pineal Gland Visible on 18F-DOPA PET/CT With Last Generation of SiPM PET/CT

Clin Nucl Med. 2020 Jan;45(1):e67-e68. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000002742.

Abstract

A 17-year-old girl underwent an F-DOPA brain PET/CT on a new high-resolution digital SiPM PET/CT (Vision600 Siemens) to explore a suspicion of recurrence of a pilocytic astrocytoma. This study showed a local recurrence, but a second intense focal uptake was visible above, more intense than striata. On fused MRI, this was the pineal gland considered as physiological. This physiological uptake, due to a pineal DOPA decarboxylase activity, has also been observed with this PET system in other patients with F-DOPA to explore movement disorders. New high-resolution PET can show uptake of small structures by being less dependent to partial volume effect.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Astrocytoma / diagnostic imaging
  • Astrocytoma / pathology
  • Biological Transport
  • Dihydroxyphenylalanine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Dihydroxyphenylalanine / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Pineal Gland / diagnostic imaging*
  • Pineal Gland / metabolism*
  • Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography*

Substances

  • fluorodopa F 18
  • Dihydroxyphenylalanine