[The role of PET/CT in the central nervous system tumours].

Abstract

The appearance of hybrid imaging, including PET/CT has been a huge milestone not only in the development of nuclear medicine but of the whole medical imaging. The examination with 18F-FDG, the most frequently used radiopharmaceutical has become for now one of the most important diagnostic tools in oncological patient care, applied with numerous indication goals. However, the depiction of central nervous system malignancies, especially those of the brain, with FDG PET has limitations due to high cerebral background activity, it can be used primarily in lymphoma cases. To evaluate gliomas and brain metastases, amino acid tracers (11C-methionine, 18F-DOPA and 18F-FET) gained ground, which reflect other biological processes compared to that of FDG. Upon multiplying of evidences their usage is becoming more and more diverse, from the primary assessment of brain tumours (benign vs. malignant), through their grading and evaluation of posttherapeutical viability/recurrence, up to the radiotherapy planning. This paper reviews all of these in more details, mentioning shortly the prospects and challenges of the future.