Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) to detect vital retinoblastoma in the eye: Preliminary experience

• Published in: Ophthalmic genetics Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 31 - 35
• Main Authors: Moll, A.C., Hoekstra, O.S., Imhof, S.M., Comans, E.F., Meeteren, A.Y.N. Schouten-van, van der Valk, P., Boers, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Informa UK Ltd 01-03-2004; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Child, Preschool; Female; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Humans; Infant; Male; Middle Aged; Pilot Projects; Radiopharmaceuticals; Retinal Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Retinoblastoma - diagnostic imaging; Tomography, Emission-Computed
• ISSN: 1381-6810; 1744-5094
• DOI: 10.1076/opge.25.1.31.29001

Background/aims: To report our first experience with FDG-PET in the detection of vital retinoblastoma. Methods: Four newly diagnosed retinoblastoma patients, two treated retinoblastoma patients, and four control patients were enrolled in this pilot study. F18-FDG uptake was assessed in the light of clinical and histopathological features. Results: PET discriminated between new patients and controls, although tumor uptake varied widely. PET added no useful information with regard to possible vital tissue in tumor scars in the eye of the two treated retinoblastoma patients. Moreover, PET findings did not correlate with clinical or histopathological features. Conclusion: Based on this small pilot study, F18-PET shows little promise in the detection of retinoblastoma. More research on other radiofarmacons is recommended.