REVIEWS  MIBG IN NEUROBLASTOMA 

The Quarterly Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2013 March;57(1):29-39

Copyright © 2013 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

PET/CT imaging in neuroblastoma

Piccardo A. ¹, Lopci E. ², Conte M. ³, Foppiani L. ⁴, Garaventa A. ³, Cabria M. ¹, Villavecchia G. ¹, Fanti S. ⁵, Cistaro A. ^{6, 7} ✉

¹ Nuclear Medicine Unit, Galliera Hospital, Genoa, Italy; ² Nuclear Medicine department, Humanitas Cancer Center, IRCCS Humanitas, Rozzano, Milan, Italy; ³ Medical and Pediatric Oncology division, G.Gaslini Hospital, Genoa, Italy; ⁴ Internal Medicine Unit, Galliera Hospital, Genoa, Italy; ⁵ Nuclear Medicine Unit, Sant’Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna Italy; ⁶ Positron Emission Tomography Center IRMET, Euromedic, Turin, Italy; ⁷ Pediatric Study Group of the Italian Association of Nuclear Medicine, Milan, Italy

123Iodine-metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG) scintigraphy is currently the tracer of choice for neuroblastoma (NB). It has high diagnostic accuracy and prognostic value for the assessment of patients after chemotherapy. A positive 123I-MIBG scan is also used for the basis of targeted radionuclide therapy with 131I-MIBG. I-123 MIBG scan however has some limitations which should be taken into account. Moreover the reasons for false negative MIBG results have not been entirely elucidated. Meticulous correlation with radiological examinations and recognition of the normal distribution pattern of 123I-MIBG in children is vital to obtain optimal results. With its technical superiorities, positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) can be successfully introduced into the diagnostic workup of NB. Different PET tracers have been offered for imaging in patients with NB, and the efficacy of this modality has been compared with that of 123I-MIBG scan. Our review aims to analyze the present role of PET/CT imaging and radiopharmaceuticals in NB.