FDG PET/CT Scan and Functional Adrenal Tumors: A Pilot Study for Lateralization

Abstract

Differential 18F-FDG PET/CT uptake was observed in patients with nonfunctioning, aldosterone-hypersecreting, and cortisol-secreting masses. GLUT3 overexpression in cortisol-secreting tumor likely accounts for the differential uptake. Future larger cohort studies will need to be conducted to determine if 18F-FDG PET/CT uptake can lateralize cortisol-secreting adrenal masses in patients with bilateral adrenal masses.

Characterization of adrenocortical tumors by 18F-FDG PET/CT: Does steroid hormone hypersecretion status modify the uptake pattern?

“…In contrast with Pattel et al [17] no correlation was found between Tmx or Tmx:Lmx and hormonal status. This result could be explained by the differences in the study population.…”

“…secreting adrenocortical masses and 12 mm in Conn adenomas). They identified 16 cortisol-secreting masses with a higher average SUVmax (5.9) than 11 nonfunctioning adrenocortical masses (4.2) or than 5 Conn adenomas (3.2); no correlation between tumor size and Tmx was observed [17] as in our study. The authors demonstrated that the 18 F-FDG uptake in cortisol-secreting tumors is higher than in nonfunctioning adrenal masses, in contrast with our experience.…”

“…As already mentioned we analyzed 73 patients with cortisol secreting and non-secreting masses. In their study Pattel [17] In our longstanding experience in adrenal imaging and the present results, we still consider that Tmx:Lmx remains more reliable than Tmx alone for disease characterization and can be extrapolated in clinical routine to various PET camera, without standardization.…”

“…They showed that tumor uptake was higher in cortisolsecreting adrenal masses than in nonfunctioning adrenal masses and aldosterone-secreting tumors. They suggested that 18 F-FDG PET/CT may be used for identifying cortisol-secreting adrenal masses and proposed to use 18 F-FDG PET/CT for lateralization of secretion in cases with bilateral adrenal tumors [17]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between 18 F-FDG (Tmx:Lmx) and hormonal secretion in patients with adrenocortical masses.…”

Benign hormone-secreting adenoma within a larger adrenocortical mass showing intensely increased activity on 18F-FDG PET/CT

“…Adrenal adenomas typically do not show increased 18 F-FDG activity, although lipid-poor and functioning adenomas have been reported to show mild 18 F-FDG avidity [1, 2]. Setting a specific SUV threshold in order to differentiate adenomas from malignant adrenal tumors can be misleading.…”