18F-DOPA, a clinically available PET tracer to study brain inflammation?

Clin Nucl Med. 2014 Apr;39(4):e283-5. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000000383.

Abstract

We report 2 cases of suspected low-grade glioma with positive 18F-fluorodihydroxyphenylalanine (18F-FDOPA) PET scan, and histological diagnosis of brain inflammation corresponding to an acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) and to a neurosarcoidosis. It has been shown that this amino-acid PET radiotracer serves to evaluate tumoral proliferation related to the metabolism of L-amino-acid transporters, and that inflammation may also contribute to the tumoral uptake. This report suggests it may serve to study brain inflammation.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Dihydroxyphenylalanine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Encephalitis / diagnostic imaging*
  • Encephalitis / metabolism
  • Encephalitis / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Positron-Emission Tomography*
  • Radioactive Tracers

Substances

  • Radioactive Tracers
  • fluorodopa F 18
  • Dihydroxyphenylalanine