REVIEWS  NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND ENDOCRINOLOGY I 

Minerva Endocrinologica 2008 June;33(2):105-26

Copyright © 2008 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Imaging neuroendocrine tumours with radionuclide techniques

Gnanasegaran G., O’Doherty M. J.

Department of Nuclear Medicine, Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) are a rare type of tumour that can range from well differentiated slow growing tumours to poorly differentiated aggressive tumours. NETs can arise in different parts of the body. Patients often present with a large spectrum of clinical syndromes, which depend on the presence of hormones secreted by the tumour type or by a mass effect. Several imaging modalities are used in the diagnosis of NETs. Radionuclide imaging plays an important role in diagnosis, staging and treatment of these tumours. Several radiopharmaceuticals are used to image NETs and are based on different cellular uptake mechanisms. This review will focus on the functional imaging of NETs using single photon emission computed tomography and positron emission tomography radiopharmaceuticals.