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Head-to-head comparison between 18F-FDOPA PET/CT and MR/CT angiography in clinically recurrent head and neck paragangliomas

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Abstract

Purpose

Head and neck paragangliomas (HNPGLs) can relapse after primary treatment. Optimal imaging protocols have not yet been established for posttreatment evaluation. The aim of the present study was to assess the diagnostic value of 18F-FDOPA PET/CT and MR/CT angiography (MRA/CTA) in HNPGL patients with clinical relapse during their follow-up.

Methods

Sixteen consecutive patients presenting with local pain, tinnitus, dysphagia, hoarse voice, cranial nerve involvement, deafness, or retrotympanic mass appearing during follow-up after the initial treatment of HNPGLs were retrospectively evaluated. Patients underwent both 18F-FDOPA PET/CT and MRA (15 patents) or CTA (1 patent). Both methods were first assessed under blinded conditions and afterwards correlated. Head and neck imaging abnormalities without histological confirmation were considered true-positive results based on a consensus between radiologists and nuclear physicians and on further 18F-FDOPA PET/CT and/or MRA.

Results

18F-FDOPA PET/CT and MRA/CTA were concordant in 14 patients and in disagreement in 2 patients. 18F-FDOPA PET/CT and MRA/CTA identified, respectively, 12 and 10 presumed recurrent HNPGLs in 12 patients. The two lesions diagnosed by PET/CT only were confirmed during follow-up by otoscopic examination and MRA performed 29 and 17 months later. 18F-FDOPA PET/CT images were only slightly influenced by the posttreatment sequelae, showing a better interobserver reproducibility than MRA/CTA. Finally, in 2 of the 16 studied patients, 18F-FDOPA PET/CT detected two additional synchronous primary HNPGLs.

Conclusion

18F-FDOPA PET/CT is highly sensitive in posttreatment evaluation of patients with HNPGLs, and also offers better interobserver reproducibility than MRA/CTA and whole-body examination. We therefore suggest that 18F-FDOPA PET/CT is performed as the first diagnostic imaging modality in symptomatic patients with suspicion of HNPGL relapse after primary treatment when 68Ga-labeled somatostatin analogues are not available.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biophysics and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospitals of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France

    Céline Heimburger, Fabrice Hubelé, Izzie Jacques Namer & Alessio Imperiale

  2. ICube, UMR 7357, CNRS/University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France

    Céline Heimburger, Fabrice Hubelé, Izzie Jacques Namer & Alessio Imperiale

  3. FMTS, Faculty of Medicine, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France

    Céline Heimburger, Fabrice Hubelé, Izzie Jacques Namer & Alessio Imperiale

  4. Department of Radiology, University Hospitals of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France

    Francis Veillon, Sophie Riehm & Marcela Cavalcanti

  5. Department of Nuclear Medicine, La Timone University Hospital, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France

    David Taïeb

  6. European Center for Research in Medical Imaging, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France

    David Taïeb

  7. Inserm UMR1068 Marseille Cancerology Research Center, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France

    David Taïeb

  8. Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospitals of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France

    Bernard Goichot & Gerard Chabrier

  9. Department of Otolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospitals of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France

    Julie Petit-Thomas & Anne Charpiot

  10. Department of Pathology, University Hospitals of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France

    Gerlinde Averous

  11. Biophysics and Nuclear Medicine, Hautepierre University Hospital, 1, Avenue Molière, 67098, Strasbourg Cedex, France

    Alessio Imperiale

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  1. Céline Heimburger
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  2. Francis Veillon
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Correspondence to Alessio Imperiale.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the principles of the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Heimburger, C., Veillon, F., Taïeb, D. et al. Head-to-head comparison between 18F-FDOPA PET/CT and MR/CT angiography in clinically recurrent head and neck paragangliomas. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 44, 979–987 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-016-3605-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-016-3605-0

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