Prevalence of physiological uptake in the pancreas on somatostatin receptor-based PET/CT

Boughdad, Sarah; Meyer, Marie; Prior, John O.; Fernandes, Victor; Allenbach, Gilles; Kamani, Christel; Jreige, Mario; Albano, Domenico; Bertagna, Francesco; Nicod-Lalonde, Marie; Schaefer, Niklaus; Treglia, Giorgio

doi:10.1007/s40336-021-00432-1

Back

Journal article

Prevalence of physiological uptake in the pancreas on somatostatin receptor-based PET/CT : a systematic review and a meta-analysis

Boughdad, Sarah Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
Meyer, Marie Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
Prior, John O. Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland - Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Fernandes, Victor Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
Allenbach, Gilles Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
Kamani, Christel Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
Jreige, Mario Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
Albano, Domenico Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Brescia and Spedali Civili Brescia, Brescia, Italy
Bertagna, Francesco Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Brescia and Spedali Civili Brescia, Brescia, Italy
Nicod-Lalonde, Marie Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
Schaefer, Niklaus Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland - Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Treglia, Giorgio Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland - Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland - Clinic of Nuclear Medicine, Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzona, Switzerland - Academic Education, Research and Innovation Area, General Directorate, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzona, Switzerland - Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland

07.05.2021

Published in:

Clinical and Translational Imaging. - Springer. - 2021, vol. 9, no. 4, p. 353–360

English Background: Physiological focal radiopharmaceutical uptake in the head and uncinate process of the pancreas may be seen on somatostatin receptor-based PET/CT and might lead to false-positive results for neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). We aimed to perform a systematic review and a meta-analysis about the prevalence of this finding. Methods: We performed a comprehensive computer literature search across several databases until July 2020. Pooled prevalence of physiological focal uptake on somatostatin receptor-based PET/CT in the pancreas was calculated on a per-examination- based analysis and 95% confidence interval values (95% CI) were reported. Results: Six studies (684 patients and 829 PET/CT scans) were included. The pooled prevalence of physiological uptake in the head and uncinate process of the pancreas on somatostatin receptor-based PET/CT imaging was 34% (95% CI 19.5–48.7%) with average SUVmax values ranging from 5 to 12.6. Heterogeneity was seen across the selected studies. Conclusions: High radiopharmaceutical uptake in the head and uncinate process of the pancreas is frequent at somatostatin receptor-based PET/CT and it should be recognized by nuclear medicine physicians to prevent unnecessary additional investigations. In addition, next generation PET/CT tomographs might increase the prevalence of this finding.

Language