18F-DOPA pet

Abstract

One of the main goals in the evaluation of congenital hyperinsulinism is to distinguish medically treatable disease from disease requiring surgical management. Over the past 20 years, it has become clear that some patients with severe disease that is unresponsive to medical therapy may benefit from pancreatectomy. One of the big challenges has been distinguishing between two histopathologic forms of HI, diffuse disease, which is not curable, and focal disease, which can be cured with limited pancreatic resection. Diagnostic evaluation with the 18-F-L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine [18F]-DOPA PET scan has been shown to have moderate-good sensitivity for diagnosis of a focal lesion but almost 100% accuracy in localizing a detected lesion. The finding of a focal lesion can change surgical approach, decrease surgical morbidity, and lead to a cure of this devastating disease.