Machine and Hybrid
Intelligence Lab
Lab workspace

Ectopic ACTH and CRH co-secreting tumor localized by 68ga-DOTA-TATE PET/CT

Georgios Z. Papadakis; Ulas Bagci; Samira M. Sadowski; Nicholas J. Patronas; Constantine A. Stratakis

Clinical Nuclear Medicine

Read the paper BibTeX

Abstract

Diagnosis of ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) co-secreting tumors causing Cushing syndrome (CS) is challenging because these tumors are rare and their diagnosis is frequently confused with Cushing disease (CD), caused by the effect of CRH on the pituitary. We report a case of a 21-year-old male patient who was referred to our institution with persistent hypercortisolemia and CS after undergoing unnecessary transsphenoidal surgery (TSS). ⁶⁸Ga-DOTA-TATE PET/CT revealed increased tracer uptake in the thymus, which was histologically proven to be a neuroendocrine tumor (NET) that stained positive for ACTH and CRH. Imaging with ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT was not diagnostic.

Abstract source

This 2015 case report describes localization of a thymic neuroendocrine tumor in a patient with ectopic ACTH- and CRH-secreting Cushing syndrome. 68Ga-DOTA-TATE PET/CT showed tracer uptake in the thymic lesion; 18F-FDG PET/CT was not diagnostic.

Summary

This case report describes a 21-year-old man with persistent hypercortisolemia and Cushing syndrome after transsphenoidal surgery. 68Ga-DOTA-TATE PET/CT showed increased tracer uptake in a thymic lesion. Histological examination identified a neuroendocrine tumor that stained positive for ACTH and CRH. 18F-FDG PET/CT did not show increased tumor glucose metabolism. The report concerns one patient and does not establish comparative diagnostic performance or a general imaging protocol.

  • Authors: Georgios Z. Papadakis, Ulas Bagci, Samira M. Sadowski, Nicholas J. Patronas, and Constantine A. Stratakis.
  • Published in Clinical Nuclear Medicine, volume 40, issue 7, pages 576–578 (2015).
  • DOI: 10.1097/RLU.0000000000000806.

Cite this work

Georgios Z. Papadakis; Ulas Bagci; Samira M. Sadowski; Nicholas J. Patronas; Constantine A. Stratakis (2015). Ectopic ACTH and CRH co-secreting tumor localized by 68ga-DOTA-TATE PET/CT. Clinical Nuclear Medicine https://doi.org/10.1097/RLU.0000000000000806

BibTeX