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Assessment of Progression and Treatment Response of Optic Pathway Glioma with Positron Emission Tomography using α-[11C]Methyl-l-Tryptophan

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Abstract

Purpose

To report the utility of positron emission tomography (PET) with α-[11C]methyl-l-tryptophan (AMT) for monitoring progression and response to treatment of an isolated optic pathway glioma (OPG) in a 16-year-old girl.

Procedures

Positron emission tomography scanning of the brain was performed 20 minutes after intravenous administration of AMT. The AMT-PET images were reconstructed and examined for tumor uptake of the tracer in correlation with coregistered magnetic resonance images.

Results

The PET scan demonstrated increased uptake of AMT by OPG in a clinically symptomatic child whose magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was inconclusive for morphological changes of the tumor. The tracer uptake was dramatically decreased on the images obtained after chemotherapy. Subsequently, AMT-PET revealed a new tumor lesion of increased AMT uptake when the patient developed vision problems and MRI showed no significant interval morphological changes. Significant vision improvement was observed after external beam radiotherapy for the newly identified tumor lesion.

Conclusions

Positron emission tomography with α-[11C]methyl-l-tryptophan may be useful for monitoring progression and response to treatment of OPGs, which needs to be further investigated in a prospective study of more patients, including those with neurofibromatosis.

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Acknowledgment

We thank Pulak K. Chakraborty for preparation of the radiopharmaceutical AMT. This project was partly funded by a faculty research development fund awarded to F. P. by The Carman & Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Wayne State University and a grant from the Children's Research Center of Michigan granted to C.J.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Carman & Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Beaubien Boulevard, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA

    Fangyu Peng, Csaba Juhasz, Kanta Bhambhani, Diane C. Chugani & Harry T. Chugani

  2. Department of Radiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA

    Fangyu Peng, Dafang Wu, Diane C. Chugani & Harry T. Chugani

  3. Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA

    Fangyu Peng, Kanta Bhambhani & Dafang Wu

  4. Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA

    Csaba Juhasz & Harry T. Chugani

Authors
  1. Fangyu Peng
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  2. Csaba Juhasz
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  3. Kanta Bhambhani
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  4. Dafang Wu
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  5. Diane C. Chugani
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  6. Harry T. Chugani
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fangyu Peng.

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Peng, F., Juhasz, C., Bhambhani, K. et al. Assessment of Progression and Treatment Response of Optic Pathway Glioma with Positron Emission Tomography using α-[11C]Methyl-l-Tryptophan. Mol Imaging Biol 9, 106–109 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11307-007-0090-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11307-007-0090-7

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