Glucagonoma other imaging findings

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Parminder Dhingra, M.D. [2], Mohammed Abdelwahed M.D [3]

Overview

Other imaging studies for glucagonoma include positron emission tomography scan and somatostatin receptor scintigraphy. Scintigraphy is less sensitive than PET scan but still useful.

Other Imaging Findings

Positron Emission Tomography

When performing a PET scan, a small amount of a radioactive medium is injected into the body and absorbed by the organs or tissues.
This radioactive substance gives off energy which in turn is used to produce the images.
Positron emission tomography can provide more helpful information than either CT or MRI scans. It is useful to see if cancer has spread to the lymph nodes and it is also useful to locate where cancer has spread.

Octreoscan

Many glucagonoma’s express high levels of somatostatin receptors and can be imaged with a radiolabeled form of the somatostatin analog octreotide.^[1]

It is less sensitive than Ga DOTATATE PET scan with gadolinium but still useful if Ga DOTATATE is not available.

Octreoscan.Case courtesy of Radswiki rID: 11670

References

↑ Papotti M, Bongiovanni M, Volante M, Allìa E, Landolfi S, Helboe L; et al. (2002). “Expression of somatostatin receptor types 1-5 in 81 cases of gastrointestinal and pancreatic endocrine tumors. A correlative immunohistochemical and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis”. Virchows Arch. 440 (5): 461–75. doi:10.1007/s00428-002-0609-x. PMID 12021920.

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[pmid12021920-1] Papotti M, Bongiovanni M, Volante M, Allìa E, Landolfi S, Helboe L; et al. (2002). “Expression of somatostatin receptor types 1-5 in 81 cases of gastrointestinal and pancreatic endocrine tumors. A correlative immunohistochemical and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis”. Virchows Arch. 440 (5): 461–75. doi:10.1007/s00428-002-0609-x. PMID 12021920.

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