Multimodality Imaging of Neuroendocrine Tumors

Neuroendocrine tumors are rare solid tumors with an estimated 12,000 people in the United States diagnosed each year. Neuroendocrine tumors can occur in any part of the body. There is a wide spectrum of disease, ranging from slow-growing and indolent tumors found incidentally to highly aggressive malignancies with a poor prognosis. Knowledge of neuroendocrine tumor pathology is essential in the diagnostic workup of these patients. This article focuses on the evaluation, detection, and staging of common neuroendocrine tumors with multiple imaging modalities; the information gained with a multimodality approach is often complementary and leads to image-guided treatment decision making.