To discuss the diagnostic efficiency and imaging features of somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) for bone metastasis of neuroendocrine neoplasm (NEN).
Methods:
Clinical characteristics and PET/CT features of NEN patients with bone metastasis in Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center were retrospectively analyzed. Positive lesions on PET/CT were defined as focal significant uptake which was higher than background of normal bone. Maximum standard uptake value (SUV
max
) of positive lesions was measured. The difference of SUV
max
was compared by independent sample t test and One-Way ANOVA grouped by tracer species
primary tumor
pathological grade and bone change.
Results:
105 cases (10.1%) were finally diagnosed as bone metastasis of NEN in 1 041 patients with NEN who underwent 68 Ga-SSA PET/CT. In this study
36 cases underwent 68 Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT
69 cases underwent
68
Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT. The detective rates were 88.9% and 76.8% for
68
Ga-DOTATATE and
68
Ga-DOTANOC (
P
=0.191). The most common primary tumor of bone metastasis is pancreatic NEN (28/105
26.7%) and secondly rectal NEN (21/105
20.0%). Bone metastasis mostly originated from NET G2 and presented as osteoblastic changes. There was no significant difference of SUV
max
of bone metastasis on
68
Ga-DOTATATE and
68
Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT (17.019.6
vs
24.631.4
P
=0.216). SUV
max
of bone metastasis showed significant difference among gastroenterpancreatic NEN
thymic/pulmonary NEN and phaochromocytoma/paraganglioma 18.7217.44
15.8121.17 and 45.8766.88 (
F
=3.867
P
=0.025).
Conclusion:
Somatostatin receptor PET/CT shows high sensitiv
ity of detecting bone metastasis of NEN.
68
Ga-DOTATATE and
68
Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT presents similar diagnostic efficiency. Bone metastasis mostly originated from gastroenterpancreatic NEN and commonly manifested as osteoblastic changes. Highest radioactivity of
68
Ga-SSA was observed in bone metastasis from phaochromocytoma/paraganglioma.