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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · World J Nucl Med 2014; 13(03): 201-204
DOI: 10.4103/1450-1147.144823
Case report

Gallium-68 Dota-Tate positron emission tomography/computed tomography: Scintigraphic changes of adrenal glands following management of ectopic cushing′s syndrome by steroidogenesis inhibitors

Authors

  • Yu-Ting Huang

    1   Specialised PET Services, Royal Brisbane and Women′s Hospital, Brisbane, Australia

  • Shaikh Aziz

    1   Specialised PET Services, Royal Brisbane and Women′s Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
    2   Department of Nuclear Medicine, Royal Brisbane and Women′s Hospital, Brisbane

  • Aravind Ravi Kumar

    1   Specialised PET Services, Royal Brisbane and Women′s Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
    2   Department of Nuclear Medicine, Royal Brisbane and Women′s Hospital, Brisbane
    3   School of Medicine, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland
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In the era of emerging functional imaging techniques, an understanding of the effects of hormonal therapies on the scintigraphic appearance of endocrine organs is desirable to minimize the erroneous scan interpretation. The mechanisms by which changes in the scintigraphic appearance of endocrine organs occur however sometimes remain ambiguous. This case demonstrates the gallium-68 (Ga-68) DOTA-TATE positron emission tomography/computed tomography (CT) appearance of adrenal glands following management with steroidogenesis inhibitors. The potential mechanisms underlying this change are discussed. A 17-year-old boy with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) dependent Cushing′s syndrome secondary to ectopic ACTH secretion underwent pre- and post-metyrapone and dexamethasone treatment Ga-68 DOTA-TATE scans 4 months apart. Pretreatment, both adrenals demonstrated normal symmetrical prominent Ga-68 DOTA-TATE uptake and normal CT appearance. The posttherapy scan revealed marked symmetrical suppression of Ga-68 DOTA-TATE uptake, but with bilateral adrenal hypertrophy on CT.

Keywords

Adrenal suppression - cushing′s syndrome - gallium-68 DOTA-TATE positron emission tomography/computed tomography - metyrapone - steroidogenesis inhibitor


Publication History

Article published online:
23 May 2022

© 2014. Sociedade Brasileira de Neurocirurgia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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