Uptake of In-111 Pentetreotide by Pleural Plaques

Abstract

Somatostatin receptor imaging with In-111 pentetreotide has been validated for the diagnosis and staging of chest tumors with neuroendocrine differentiation such as bronchial carcinoid and small cell lung cancer. In-111 pentetreotide uptake is not specific for neuroendocrine tumors because somatostatin receptors are also expressed by white blood cells, leading to the in vivo visualization sites of infection sites or active inflammation. Pleural plaques may be due to asbestos exposure or tuberculosis. Presented here are three cases of In-111 pentetreotide uptake in pleural plaques. This uptake by benign lesions may be misleading in the diagnostic work-up of patients with lung tumors.

Visualization of Gallbladder with In-111 Octreotide Scan

“…Normal physiologic distribution of In-111 octreotide includes faint visualization of thyroid, pituitary gland and marked increased uptake in the liver, spleen, kidneys and bladder. Although rarely encountered, false-positive studies have been reported due to increased activity at nonmalignant pathologies such as Paget’s disease, parathyroid adenoma, cholecystitis, thrombus, abscess, infection, pulmonary fibrosis, pleural plaques and uterine myomas ( 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ). Only a few cases in the literature have reported increased In-111 octreotide activity in the gallbladder ( 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ).…”