Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Hybrid PET/MRI Imaging of Alzheimer's Disease Based on 18F-AV-1451
05:17

Hybrid PET/MRI Imaging of Alzheimer's Disease Based on 18F-AV-1451

Published on: April 18, 2025

Solitary brain lesions enhancing at MR imaging: evaluation with fluorine 18 fluorocholine PET

Sandi A Kwee1, Jehoon P Ko, Caroline S Jiang

  • 1Hamamatsu/Queen's PET Imaging Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. skwee@queens.org

Radiology
|June 22, 2007
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Fluorine 18 fluorocholine PET effectively distinguishes between benign and malignant brain lesions, including high-grade gliomas and metastases. Increased peritumoral fluorocholine uptake is a key indicator of high-grade gliomas.

Area of Science:

  • Nuclear Medicine
  • Oncology
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Differentiating benign from malignant brain lesions is crucial for effective patient management.
  • Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can show lesion enhancement, but definitive diagnosis often requires biopsy.
  • Fluorine 18 ((18)F) fluorocholine positron emission tomography (PET) is an emerging imaging modality for brain tumors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To prospectively evaluate the ability of (18)F-fluorocholine PET to differentiate between benign and malignant brain lesions.
  • To assess the diagnostic performance of (18)F-fluorocholine PET in identifying high-grade gliomas, metastases, and benign lesions.
  • To investigate the significance of peritumoral fluorocholine uptake in characterizing brain tumors.

Main Methods:

  • Thirty patients with solitary, MR-enhancing brain lesions underwent whole-brain (18)F-fluorocholine PET.
  • Histopathologic diagnosis was obtained in 24 cases; six benign lesions were diagnosed via follow-up MR.
  • Quantitative analysis included maximum standardized uptake value (SUV(max)) and lesion-to-normal tissue uptake ratio (LNR).

Main Results:

  • Significant differences in SUV(max) and LNR were observed between high-grade gliomas, metastases, and benign lesions (P < .0001).
  • High-grade gliomas showed a mean SUV(max) of 1.89 +/- 0.78 and LNR of 5.15 +/- 2.51.
  • Metastases had a mean SUV(max) of 4.11 +/- 1.68 and LNR of 10.91 +/- 2.14.
  • Benign lesions exhibited a mean SUV(max) of 0.59 +/- 0.31 and LNR of 1.28 +/- 0.32.
  • Increased peritumoral LNR (>2.0) was significantly associated with high-grade gliomas (P = .02).
  • In radiation-treated patients, (18)F-fluorocholine uptake was significantly lower in benign lesions compared to recurrent tumors (P < .01).

Conclusions:

  • (18)F-fluorocholine PET can effectively distinguish between high-grade gliomas, brain metastases, and benign brain lesions.
  • Elevated peritumoral fluorocholine uptake is a specific indicator for high-grade gliomas.
  • This PET tracer shows promise for non-invasively characterizing brain lesions and guiding treatment decisions.

More Related Videos

Semi-quantitative Assessment Using [18F]FDG Tracer in Patients with Severe Brain Injury09:58

Semi-quantitative Assessment Using [18F]FDG Tracer in Patients with Severe Brain Injury

Published on: November 9, 2018

Related Concept Videos

Positron Emission Tomography01:29

Positron Emission Tomography

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a medical imaging technique involving radiopharmaceuticals — substances that emit short-lived radiation. Although the first PET scanner was introduced in 1961, it took 15 more years before radiopharmaceuticals were combined with the technique and revolutionized its potential.
One of the main requirements of a PET scan is a positron-emitting radioisotope, which is produced in a cyclotron and then attached to a substance used by the part of the body being...
Imaging Studies II: Positron Emission Tomography and Scintigraphy01:25

Imaging Studies II: Positron Emission Tomography and Scintigraphy

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a medical imaging technique that provides crucial insights into the body's physiological functions at a molecular level. It is an indispensable resource for diagnosing, staging, and monitoring various illnesses, notably cancer, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular conditions.
Fundamental Principles of PET
Radiological Investigation III: Pulmonary Angiogram and PET Scan01:13

Radiological Investigation III: Pulmonary Angiogram and PET Scan

Radiological investigations are paramount in the diagnosis and management of various pulmonary diseases. Two essential investigations are the Pulmonary Angiogram and the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan.
Pulmonary Angiogram
A Pulmonary Angiogram is an invasive procedure involving injecting a contrast medium through a catheter threaded into the pulmonary artery or the right side of the heart to visualize the pulmonary vasculature. Computed Tomography (CT) scans have mainly replaced this...