Possibilities of small-size glioblastoma visualization by PET-CT with 11C-choline (experimental study)
Introduction. The minimum size of malignant brain tumors detected by positron emission and computed tomography (PET-CT) exceeds 6-7 mm. One of the ways to increase the sensitivity of PET-CT in detecting of malignant brain tumors is to increase the administered activity of the radiopharmaceutical 11C-choline.Purpose & tasks. The aim of the study was to experimentally study the possibility of obtaining a small-size glioblastoma (GB) images (up to 4 mm) by PET-CT with the 11C-choline.Materials and methods. The study was performed on 24 rats with implanted intracerebral tumor «Glioma C6» (glioblastoma). Animals underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with contrast enhancement (CE) and PET-CT with 11C-choline for 21 days after tumor transplantation.Results. It was shown that using two methods: MRI with CE and PET-CT with 11C-choline, a glioblastoma up to 4 mm can be convincingly visualized.Conclusion. The data obtained can be crucial for early detection of glioblastoma, justification of treatment tactics, evaluation of the treatment effectiveness and prediction the outcome of the disease.