Abstract.
3-[123I]Iodo-α-methyl-L-tyrosine (IMT) is employed clinically as a tracer of amino acid transport in brain tumours using single-photon emission tomography (SPET). This study investigates the role of IMT SPET in the non-invasive histological grading and prognostic evaluation of cerebral gliomas. The files of patients investigated by IMT SPET in our clinic between 1988 and 1996 were evaluated retrospectively. Complete follow-up was available for 58 patients with cerebral gliomas investigated by IMT SPET shortly after tumour diagnosis. Seventeen patients had low-grade gliomas (WHO grade II), 14 had anaplastic gliomas (WHO grade III) and 27 had glioblastomas (WHO grade IV). Thirty-six cases were primary tumours and 22 cases, recurrences. Maximal and mean tumour-to-brain (T/B) ratios of IMT uptake at the first IMT SPET investigation were related to histological grading and survival time. Patients with low-grade gliomas showed significantly longer survival than patients with high-grade (grade III or IV) tumours. Gliomas without contrast enhancement on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scans were associated with longer patient survival than tumours with contrast enhancement. The T/B ratios of IMT SPET showed no differences in relation to histological grading [WHO grade II: 1.73±0.59; WHO grade III: 1.74±0.38; WHO grade IV: 1.59±0.35, (mean±SD, T/B ratios of mean tumour uptake)]. The median survival time of patients with a high T/B ratio on IMT SPET was not significantly different from that of patients with a low T/B ratio (T/B ratio <1.6, 14.8 months; T/B ratio ≥1.6, 13.0 months). Thus, no evidence could be found for a relationship between IMT uptake in cerebral gliomas and either histological grading or survival time. Nevertheless, IMT SPET constitutes a useful method for the detection of primary and recurrent gliomas, determination of tumour extent and individual follow-up.
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Received 28 January and in revised form 15 April 2001
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Schmidt, D., Gottwald, U., Langen, KJ. et al. 3-[123I]Iodo-α-methyl-L-tyrosine uptake in cerebral gliomas: relationship to histological grading and prognosis. Eur J Nucl Med 28, 855–861 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002590100553
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002590100553