A high 18F-FDOPA uptake is associated with a slow growth rate in diffuse Grade II–III gliomas

Objective:In diffuse grade II-III gliomas, a high 18F-FDOPA positron emission tomography (PET) uptake, with a SUVmax/contralateral brain tissue ratio greater than 1.8, was previously found to be consistently associated with the presence of an isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation, whereas this mutation is typically associated with a better prognosis. This pilot study was aimed to ascertain the prognostic value of this high 18F-FDOPA uptake in diffuse grade II-III gliomas with regard to the velocity of diameter expansion (VDE) which represents an established landmark of better prognosis when below 4mm per year.Methods:Twenty patients (42±10 years, 10 female) with newly-diagnosed diffuse grade II-III gliomas (17 with IDH mutation) were retrospectively included. All had a 18F-FDOPA PET, quantified with SUVmax ratio, along with a serial MRI enabling VDE determination.Results:SUVmax ratio was above 1.8 in 5 patients (25%) all of whom had a VDE < 4mm/year (100%) and IDH mutation (100%). Moreover, a SUVmax ...