Incidental Early Pancreatitis Detected on 18 F-FDG and 68 Ga-FAPI-46 PET/CT in a Patient With Metastatic Soft Tissue...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiology

Background:

• 18F-FDG PET is effective for detecting inflammatory cell infiltration.
• Fibroblast-mediated inflammatory conditions, like pancreatitis, may benefit from higher sensitivity imaging.
• Solitary fibrous tumors can present with metastatic disease requiring comprehensive evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of 68Ga-FAPI46 PET/CT in a patient with metastatic solitary fibrous tumor.
• To compare FAPI PET/CT with 18F-FDG PET/CT in assessing pancreatic inflammation.
• To explore the potential of FAPI PET/CT in distinguishing pancreatic inflammation from malignancy.

Main Methods:

• Molecular imaging using both 18F-FDG PET/CT and 68Ga-FAPI46 PET/CT.
• Case presentation of a 73-year-old woman with metastatic solitary fibrous tumor.
• Correlation of imaging findings with biochemical and clinical data.

Main Results:

• Both 18F-FDG and FAPI PET/CT showed uptake in the pancreatic head with peripancreatic fat stranding.
• FAPI PET/CT revealed diffuse pancreatic uptake, indicating fibroblast-driven inflammation.
• Clinical and biochemical data confirmed acute pancreatitis.

Conclusions:

• FAPI PET/CT demonstrates potential in identifying fibroblast-driven pancreatic inflammation.
• This imaging modality may offer superior sensitivity compared to 18F-FDG PET/CT in specific inflammatory scenarios.
• FAPI PET/CT could be a valuable tool for differentiating pancreatic inflammation from malignancy.