Current role of 111In-DTPA-octreotide scintigraphy in diagnosis of thymic masses.
Tumori
; 97(2): 191-5, 2011.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-21617714
ABSTRACT
AIMS AND BACKGROUND:
Thymic tumors (thymomas and thymic carcinomas) represent 50% of all mediastinal tumors. Thymomas usually express high levels of somatostatin receptors, which enable in vivo imaging with 111In-DTPA-octreotide (OctreoScan®). The aim of this study was to further investigate the role of radionuclide techniques in the diagnosis, staging and follow-up of these tumors.METHODS:
Eight patients (5 women, 3 men, age range 35-79 years; mean ± SD 56.1 ± 15.8 years) entered the study. In 4 patients, myasthenia gravis was the presenting symptom. 111In-DTPA-octreotide scan was performed within 3 weeks after contrast enhanced CT and/or MRI. Planar and tomographic images were acquired within 24 hours of the injection of 111 MBq OctreoScan. The scintigraphic results were defined in correlation with the histological findings.RESULTS:
Histology revealed thymoma in 3 patients, thymic carcinoma in 1, insular carcinoma of presumably thymic origin in 1, thymic carcinoid in 1, and thymic hyperplasia in 2 patients. Two thymomas were at stage I, 1 thymoma and 1 thymic carcinoma at stage II, 1 insular carcinoma of presumably thymic origin at stage IV, and 1 thymic carcinoid at stage IV. OctreoScan consistently accumulated in primary and/or metastatic sites of thymic tumors while no radiotracer uptake was detected in the 2 patients with benign thymic hyperplasia. In 1 patient with a very large mediastinal mass (13 cm in largest diameter) and multiple metastatic deposits in the lungs, OctreoScan scintigraphy showed a large area of pathological uptake in the anterior mediastinum and a small area of focal uptake in the cervical-dorsal region of the right lung corresponding to a lymph node expressing somatostatin receptors.CONCLUSIONS:
OctreoScan is avidly taken up by thymic tumors, enabling the diagnosis of these tumors and a better evaluation of their extension. It does not accumulate in thymic hyperplasia, thus allowing the differential diagnosis between these 2 pathological conditions. In patients affected by myasthenia gravis, OctreoScan scintigraphy can play an important role in characterizing thymic masses.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Timoma
/
Hiperplasia do Timo
/
Neoplasias do Timo
/
Somatostatina
/
Tomografia Computadorizada de Emissão de Fóton Único
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
Limite:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2011
Tipo de documento:
Article