PET hydroxyephedrine imaging of neuroblastoma.

The goals of this investigation were to characterize the uptake of 11 C-hydroxyepheorine (HED) in neuroblastoma and to determine the feasibility and potential advantages of utilizing this compound as a tumor imaging agent. Methods : Seven patients with known or subsequently proven neuroblastoma were studied. Each patient underwent PET scanning with 11 C-HED. Six of seven patients underwent scintigraphy with [ 123 I]meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG), and two patients were also studied with [ 18 F]FDG PET. For six patients, CT or MR images were available for comparison. Results : Neuroblastomas were located by PET scanning with 11 C-HED in all seven patients. The uptake of HED into neuroblastomas was rapid ; tumors were evident on images within 5 min postintravenous injection. Those lesions in the field of view of the PET camera were also identified on [ 123 I]MIBG scintigraphic images. In two patients, tumor deposits in the abdomen were better visualized with MIBG scintigraphy due to relatively less hepatic accumulation of MIBG than HED. Conclusion : PET scanning with HED for neuroblastoma results in high quality functional images of the tumors that can be obtained within minutes following injection.