PET for Evaluation of Neurologic Diseases: Part Two: Epilepsy and Neuro-Oncology
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Updated: Oct 31, 2026

Electromagnetic Source Imaging in Presurgical Evaluation of Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
Published on: September 20, 2024
Moozhan Nikpanah1, Eren Veziroglu2, Faraz Farhadi3
1Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston.
Abstract:
This review of PET for evaluation of neurological diseases is divided into two parts; part two examines the clinical use of positron emission tomography (PET) in epilepsy and neuro-oncology. In epilepsy, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET can localize epileptogenic cortex and guide surgical planning, particularly in temporal lobe epilepsy and MRI-negative cases. In neuro-oncology, amino acid PET tracers, including 18F-fluoroethyl-L-tyrosine (FET), 11C-methionine (MET), 18F-fluoro-L-DOPA (FDOPA), and fluciclovine, complement MRI in evaluating gliomas and brain metastases, particularly for distinguishing viable tumor from treatment-related change. Somatostatin receptor PET, including DOTATATE, complements MRI in meningioma assessment and may also identify candidates for radiopharmaceutical therapy.
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