Usefulness of Choline-PET for the detection of residual hemangiopericytoma in the skull base: comparison with FDG-PET

• Main Authors: Ito Shin, Yokoyama Junkichi, Yoshimoto Hitoshi, Yazawa Masaki, Kazuo Kubota, Hanaguri Makoto, Ohba Shinichi, Fujimaki Mitsuhisa, Ikeda Katsuhisa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2012-02-01
• Series: Head & Face Medicine
• Subjects: Choline-PET; Skull base tumor; Hemangiopericytoma; Skullbase surgery
• Online Access: http://www.head-face-med.com/content/8/1/3

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Choline is a new PET tracer that is useful for the detection of malignant tumor. Choline is a precursor of the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine, a major phospholipid in the cell membrane of eukaryotic cells. Malignant tumors have an elevated level of phosphatidylcholine in cell membrane. Thus, choline is a marker of tumor malignancy.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>The patient was a 51-year-old man with repeated recurrent hemangiopericytoma in the skull base. We performed Choline-PET in this patient after various treatments and compared findings with those of FDG-PET.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Choline accumulated in this tumor, but FDG did not accumulate. We diagnosed this tumor as residual hemangiopericytoma and performed the resection of the residual tumor. FDG-PET is not appropriate for skull base tumor detection because uptake in the brain is very strong.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We emphasize the usefulness of Choline-PET for the detection of residual hemangiopericytoma in the skull base after various treatments, compared with FDG-PET.</p>