Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2022. Vol. 67. № 4

X-ray and Radionuclide Imaging in the Diagnosis
of ACTH-Producing Neuroendocrine Tumors

O.O. Golounina1, K.Yu. Slashchuk2, A.V. Khairieva2, N.V. Tarbaeva2,
M.V. Degtyarev2, Zh.E. Belaya2

1I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia

2The National Medical Research Center for Endocrinology, Moscow, Russia

Contact person: Golounina Olga Olegovna, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ABSTRACT

Ectopic ACTH syndrome caused by excessive production of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) by a neuroendocrine tumor (NET) is an extremely rare disease, the main manifestation of which is pronounced hypercortisolism. In order to avoid the development of life-threatening complications and disability of the patient, timely topical diagnosis and rapid decision-making on further management tactics are necessary. The problem of the diagnosis of NET and differential diagnosis with other formations remains relevant and one of the little-studied. Despite the existing wide arsenal of methods of conventional diagnostics, functional and receptor imaging, the source of the disease remains unidentified in about 20% of patients. This article discusses the modern possibilities of NET visualization using conventional and radionuclide imaging methods, demonstrates the diagnostic capabilities of somatostatin-receptor scintigraphy and single-photon emission computed tomography combined with computed tomography (SPECT/CT) and combined positron emission and computed tomography (PET/CT) in the visualization of NET producing ACTH, and analyzes existing radiopharmaceuticals.

Keywords: multislice computed tomography, somatostatin-receptor scintigraphy, SPECT/CT, PET/CT, ectopic ACTH syndrome; neuroendocrine tumor (NET)

For citation: Golounina OO, Slashchuk KYu, Khairieva AV, Tarbaeva NV, Degtyarev MV, Belaya ZhE. X-ray and Radionuclide Imaging in the Diagnosis of ACTH-Producing Neuroendocrine Tumors. Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2022;67(4):80-88. DOI: 10.33266/1024-6177-2022-67-4-80-88

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Conflict of interest. The author declare no conflict of interest.

Financing. Research supported by the Russian Science Foundation (RSF grant 19-15-00398-P)

Contribution. Article was prepared with equal participation of the authors

Article received: 20.04.2022.  Accepted for publication: 24.06.2022