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Gillett D, MacFarlane J, Bashari W, Crawford R, Harper I, Mendichovszky IA, Aloj L, Cheow H, Gurnell M. Molecular Imaging of Pituitary Tumors. Semin Nucl Med 2023; 53:530-538. [PMID: 36966020 DOI: 10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2023.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023]
Abstract
Tumors of the pituitary gland, although mostly benign adenomas, are a cause of significant morbidity and even excess mortality due to local compressive effects (eg visual loss, hypopituitarism) and unregulated hormone secretion (eg acromegaly or Cushing Disease). Surgery, radiotherapy, and medical management (sometimes in combination) may be needed to mitigate the effects of tumor expansion and endocrine dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a central role in treatment planning for most patients. However, it does not always reliably identify the site(s) of primary or recurrent disease, especially where post-treatment remodeling results in indeterminate anatomical appearances. In these contexts, molecular imaging is a potential game-changer, allowing precise localization of sites of active disease and enabling safe and effective targeted intervention when patients would otherwise be consigned to expensive life-long medication. For pituitary and parasellar imaging, PET is the preferred modality due to its superior spatial resolution and sensitivity compared with SPECT, and an array of PET radioligands have been studied in different pituitary adenoma (PA) subtypes. While 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) is widely available, significant heterogeneity in tumoral uptake has limited its use. Instead, ligands targeting specific molecular pathways relevant to PA biology (eg somatostatin or dopamine receptor expression, amino acid uptake) are increasingly preferred and are beginning to find application in routine clinical practice. In addition, novel approaches to distinguish adenomatous tissue from normal gland (eg through comparison of images obtained with different radiotracers) and increase confidence that a suspected abnormal focus is indeed pathological (eg through subtraction imaging) have been proposed. It is likely therefore that molecular imaging will continue to find increasing application in the management of pituitary tumors just as it already does in other endocrine disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gillett
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK; Cambridge Endocrine Molecular Imaging Group, University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK.
| | - James MacFarlane
- Cambridge Endocrine Molecular Imaging Group, University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Waiel Bashari
- Cambridge Endocrine Molecular Imaging Group, University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rosy Crawford
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ines Harper
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Iosif A Mendichovszky
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK; Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Luigi Aloj
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK; Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Heok Cheow
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mark Gurnell
- Cambridge Endocrine Molecular Imaging Group, University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK; Metabolic Research Laboratories, Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, and National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK.
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Cozzi R, Ambrosio MR, Attanasio R, Battista C, Bozzao A, Caputo M, Ciccarelli E, De Marinis L, De Menis E, Faustini Fustini M, Grimaldi F, Lania A, Lasio G, Logoluso F, Losa M, Maffei P, Milani D, Poggi M, Zini M, Katznelson L, Luger A, Poiana C. Italian Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AME) and International Chapter of Clinical Endocrinology (ICCE). Position statement for clinical practice: prolactin-secreting tumors. Eur J Endocrinol 2022; 186:P1-P33. [PMID: 35000899 PMCID: PMC8859924 DOI: 10.1530/eje-21-0977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Prolactinomas are the most frequent pituitary adenomas. Prolactinoma may occur in different clinical settings and always require an individually tailored approach. This is the reason why a panel of Italian neuroendocrine experts was charged with the task to provide indications for the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches that can be easily applied in different contexts. The document provides 15 recommendations for diagnosis and 54 recommendations for treatment, issued according to the GRADE system. The level of agreement among panel members was formally evaluated by RAND-UCLA methodology. In the last century, prolactinomas represented the paradigm of pituitary tumors for which the development of highly effective drugs obtained the best results, allowing to avoid neurosurgery in most cases. The impressive improvement of neurosurgical endoscopic techniques allows a far better definition of the tumoral tissue during surgery and the remission of endocrine symptoms in many patients with pituitary tumors. Consequently, this refinement of neurosurgery is changing the therapeutic strategy in prolactinomas, allowing the definitive cure of some patients with permanent discontinuation of medical therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renato Cozzi
- Division of Endocrinology, Niguarda Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Correspondence should be addressed to R Cozzi;
| | - Maria Rosaria Ambrosio
- Section of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | | | - Claudia Battista
- Endocrinology Unit, IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo (FG), Italy
| | - Alessandro Bozzao
- Neuroradiology, S. Andrea Hospital, NESMOS Department (Neuroscience, Mental Health, Sensorial Organs), Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Caputo
- Laboratorio Analisi Cliniche e Microbiologia, Synlab SRL, Calenzano, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Laura De Marinis
- Pituitary Unit, Department of Endocrinology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, School of Medicine, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Franco Grimaldi
- AME President, Endocrinology and Metabolism Unit, University Hospital S. Maria della Misericordia, Udine, Italy
| | - Andrea Lania
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Endocrinology Unit, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Giovanni Lasio
- Department of Neurosurgery, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center IRCCS, Rozzano, Italy
| | | | - Marco Losa
- Department of Neurosurgery and Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute University, Milan, Italy
| | - Pietro Maffei
- Department of Medicine (DIMED), 3rd Medical Clinic, Padua University Hospital, Padua, Italy
| | - Davide Milani
- Department of Neurosurgery, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center IRCCS, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Maurizio Poggi
- Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, S. Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Michele Zini
- Endocrinology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera S. Maria Nuova IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | | | - Anton Luger
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Catalina Poiana
- ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy – Endocrinology, “C.I. Parhon” National Institute of Endocrinology – Pituitary and Neuroendocrine Disorders, Bucharest, Romania
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Bashari WA, Senanayake R, MacFarlane J, Gillett D, Powlson AS, Kolias A, Mannion RJ, Koulouri O, Gurnell M. Using Molecular Imaging to Enhance Decision Making in the Management of Pituitary Adenomas. J Nucl Med 2021; 62:57S-62S. [PMID: 34230075 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.120.251546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In most patients with suspected or confirmed pituitary adenomas (PAs), MRI, performed using T1- (with or without gadolinium enhancement) and T2-weighted sequences, provides sufficient information to guide effective clinical decision making. In other patients, additional MR sequences (e.g., gradient recalled echo, fluid-attenuation inversion recovery, MR elastography, or MR angiography) may be deployed to improve adenoma detection, assess tumoral consistency, or aid distinction from other sellar/parasellar lesions (e.g., aneurysm, meningioma). However, there remains a small but important subgroup of patients in whom primary or secondary intervention (e.g., first or redo transsphenoidal surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery) is limited by the inability of MRI to accurately localize the site(s) of de novo, persistent, or recurrent PA. Emerging evidence indicates that hybrid imaging, which combines molecular (e.g. 11C-methionine PET) and cross-sectional (MRI) modalities, can enable the detection and precise localization of sites of active tumor to guide targeted intervention. This not only increases the likelihood of achieving complete remission with preservation of remaining normal pituitary function but may mitigate the need for long-term (even lifelong) high-cost medical therapies. Here, we review published evidence supporting the use of molecular imaging in the management of PAs, including our own 10-y experience with 11C-methionine PET.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waiel A Bashari
- Cambridge Endocrine Molecular Imaging Group, Metabolic Research Laboratories, Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health, Research, Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Russell Senanayake
- Cambridge Endocrine Molecular Imaging Group, Metabolic Research Laboratories, Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health, Research, Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - James MacFarlane
- Cambridge Endocrine Molecular Imaging Group, Metabolic Research Laboratories, Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health, Research, Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Gillett
- Cambridge Endocrine Molecular Imaging Group, Metabolic Research Laboratories, Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health, Research, Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom; and
| | - Andrew S Powlson
- Cambridge Endocrine Molecular Imaging Group, Metabolic Research Laboratories, Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health, Research, Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Angelos Kolias
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge & Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J Mannion
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge & Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Olympia Koulouri
- Cambridge Endocrine Molecular Imaging Group, Metabolic Research Laboratories, Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health, Research, Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Gurnell
- Cambridge Endocrine Molecular Imaging Group, Metabolic Research Laboratories, Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health, Research, Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom;
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Mattogno PP, D’Alessandris QG, Chiloiro S, Bianchi A, Giampietro A, Pontecorvi A, De Marinis L, Olivi A, Anile C, Lauretti L. Reappraising the Role of Trans-Sphenoidal Surgery in Prolactin-Secreting Pituitary Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13133252. [PMID: 34209686 PMCID: PMC8269319 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13133252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Prolactinomas constitute a subgroup of pituitary adenomas for which there are several treatment options. Dopamine agonists (DA), since their introduction, have shown a strong efficacy both in the control of hyperprolactinemia and of the significant volumetric reduction of prolactinomas, leading, in some cases, to a definitive cure. Trans-sphenoidal surgery (TSS) has been traditionally confined to a failure of medical therapy, pituitary apoplexy with neurological worsening, and prolactinomas with wide cystic components. Moreover, the recent technical innovations introduced in TSS and increasing experience of surgeons have allowed to achieve better results, such as complete tumor resection with lower complication rates. On these grounds, the authors reviewed the extensive institutional Prolactinomas case series over the last 25 years to analyze the role of TSS in the management of Prolactinomas, particularly in terms of the cure rate. Abstract Background: Prolactinomas represent a unique challenge for endocrinologists and neurosurgeons. Considering recent innovations in surgical practice, the authors aimed to investigate the best management for prolactinomas. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional and monocentric study was designed. Consecutive patients affected by prolactinomas were enrolled if treated with a first-line treatment with a dopamine agonist (DA) or trans-sphenoidal surgery (TSS). Patients carried giant prolactinomas, and those with a follow-up <12 months were excluded. Results: Two hundred and fifty-nine patients were enrolled. The first treatment was DA for 140 patients and TS for 119 cases. One hundred and forty-six of 249 patients (58.6%) needed a second therapy. The mean follow-up was 102.2 months (12–438 months). Surgery highly impacted on the cure rate—in particular, in females (p = 0.0021) and in microprolactinomas (p = 0.0020). Considering the multivariate analysis, the female gender and surgical treatment in the course of the clinical history were the only independent positive predictors of a cure at the end of 5 years follow-up (p = 0.0016, p = 0.0005). The evaluation of serum prolactin (24 hours after TSS) revealed that 86.4% of patients with postoperative prolactin (PRL) ≤10 ng/mL were cured at the end of the follow-up (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: According to our experience, surgery allows a high cure rate of prolactinomas, particularly in females with microadenoma, with a good safety profile. TSS for prolactinomas should be considered as a concrete option, during the multidisciplinary evaluation, in centers of reference for pituitary diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pier Paolo Mattogno
- Institute of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore-Roma, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy; (Q.G.D.); (A.O.); (C.A.); (L.L.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Quintino Giorgio D’Alessandris
- Institute of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore-Roma, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy; (Q.G.D.); (A.O.); (C.A.); (L.L.)
| | - Sabrina Chiloiro
- Pituitary Unit, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS-Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore-Roma, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (A.B.); (A.G.); (A.P.); (L.D.M.)
| | - Antonio Bianchi
- Pituitary Unit, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS-Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore-Roma, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (A.B.); (A.G.); (A.P.); (L.D.M.)
| | - Antonella Giampietro
- Pituitary Unit, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS-Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore-Roma, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (A.B.); (A.G.); (A.P.); (L.D.M.)
| | - Alfredo Pontecorvi
- Pituitary Unit, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS-Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore-Roma, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (A.B.); (A.G.); (A.P.); (L.D.M.)
| | - Laura De Marinis
- Pituitary Unit, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS-Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore-Roma, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (A.B.); (A.G.); (A.P.); (L.D.M.)
| | - Alessandro Olivi
- Institute of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore-Roma, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy; (Q.G.D.); (A.O.); (C.A.); (L.L.)
| | - Carmelo Anile
- Institute of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore-Roma, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy; (Q.G.D.); (A.O.); (C.A.); (L.L.)
| | - Liverana Lauretti
- Institute of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore-Roma, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy; (Q.G.D.); (A.O.); (C.A.); (L.L.)
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Bima C, Chiloiro S, Giampietro A, Gessi M, Mattogno PP, Lauretti L, Anile C, Rindi G, Pontecorvi A, De Marinis L, Bianchi A. Galectin-3 and Estrogen Receptor Alpha as Prognostic Markers in Prolactinoma: Preliminary Results From a Pilot Study. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:684055. [PMID: 34322092 PMCID: PMC8312245 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.684055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prolactin-secreting pituitary tumors (PRL-omas) are generally benign neoplasia. However, a percentage of cases show aggressive behavior. Prognostic markers may allow for the identification of aggressive cases. In this study, we investigated the prognostic role of galectin-3 and the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), as predictive biomarkers of aggressiveness and poor prognosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS A mono-centric and retrospective study was conducted on consecutive cases of PRL-omas that underwent first line treatment with surgery and were followed-up for at least five years. The immunohistochemical expression of ERα and galectin-3 was investigated in each case. RESULTS 36 patients were enrolled. Galectin-3 resulted positive in 11 patients (30.6%). The median expression of ERα was 85% (IQR: 37). Among the group of 21 patients who underwent radical surgery (58.3%), recurrence occurred in 12 cases (33.3%). 27 patients were treated post-surgery with a dopamine agonist (DA) (12 for recurrence and 22 for a history of partial surgery). 13 patients (48.1%) were responsive to DA. Six of 11 cases positive for galactin-3 underwent partial surgery (54.5%, p<0.001). Recurrence occurred in all five cases that underwent radical surgery, which were also positive for galectin-3 (p=0.03). Galectin-3 resulted positive in 9 patients resistant to DA treatment (81.1%, p=0.01). ERα expression was lower in tumors positive for galectin-3 (p<0.001), with mitotic activity (p=0.012), with higher Ki67 Li (p<0.001), and in males with post-surgical recurrence (p<0.001). CONCLUSION Galectin-3 and ERα play as markers of aggressiveness and prognosis in PRL-omas and may be tested to identify the aggressive forms of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Bima
- Pituitary Unit, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Department of Medical Science, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, A.O.U. “Città della Salute e della Scienza”, Turin, Italy
| | - Sabrina Chiloiro
- Pituitary Unit, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Giampietro
- Pituitary Unit, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Gessi
- Institute of Pathology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Pier Paolo Mattogno
- Institute of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Liverana Lauretti
- Institute of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Carmelo Anile
- Institute of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Guido Rindi
- Institute of Pathology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Alfredo Pontecorvi
- Pituitary Unit, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura De Marinis
- Pituitary Unit, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Laura De Marinis,
| | - Antonio Bianchi
- Pituitary Unit, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
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Abstract
The pituitary is an endocrine gland with ability to uptake diverse radiopharmaceuticals and, therefore, susceptible to be investigated by nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures. Although this topic has been scarcely scrutinized, we have data indicating that somatostatin receptor scintigraphy with111In-DTPA-D-Phe-octreotide or 99mTc-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC may be of clinical utility in the diagnosis of some pituitary adenomas (PA). Only a few studies have evaluated the diagnostic performance of 99mTc-MIBI and 99mTc (V)-DMSA scintigraphy in pituitary disease. Scintigraphy using 123I-methoxybenzamide (123I-IBZM) might be useful in macroprolactinomas expressing dopamine D2 receptors. Pituitary gland does not usually accumulate 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose (18F-FDG) and, therefore, it is not visualized on positron emission tomography (PET) imaging studies with this radiotracer. The pituitary uptake on18F-FDG PET/CT scans performed in the follow-up of oncological patients are uncommon. However, 60% of these incidental findings are due to PA, mainly non-functioning pituitary macroadenomas, and a small percentage to metastases or other pituitary lesions. Interestingly, 18F-FDG PET/CT may identify hypophysitis induced by different immunotherapeutic agents used in cancer patients. Positive 18F-FDG uptake has been reported in a high percentage of patients with PA, mainly macroadenomas and it seems that there is correlation between tumor size and SUVmax. 68Ga-DOTA-TATE PET/CT may identify functioning and non-functioning PA, although this technique is more useful in the detection of remaining normal pituitary tissue after transsphenoidal adenomectomy, and in the confirmation of recurrence of functioning PA, such as thyrotroph-secreting PA. Furthermore, 68Ga-DOTA-TATE uptake has potential therapeutic implications on molecular-targeted therapy. Lastly, other radiopharmaceuticals that have shown to be taken up in some patients with pituitary disease include 18F-DOPA (prolactinoma), 11C-methionine (residual or recurrent PA), O-(2-18F-fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine (metastasis), 18F-choline (silent adenoma, ectopic corticotropinoma), and 13N-ammonia (hypopituitarism).
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Iglesias
- Department of Endocrinology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Jorge Cardona
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan José Díez
- Department of Endocrinology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain; Department of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
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