Novel PET/CT technique accurately diagnoses sub-types of primary aldosteronism: Study
China: A recent study published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine has shed light on the clinical value of a novel imaging approach, 68Ga-pentixafor PET/CT, in subtype diagnosis of primary aldosteronism patients with adrenal micronodules
The study showed that 68Ga-pentixafor PET/CT accurately identified sub-types of primary aldosteronism (an adrenal gland disorder), outperforming traditional methods for diagnosis. This detailed imaging technique provides a clearer picture of the adrenal glands, helping doctors decide more confidently whether surgery is the right option for patients.
Primary aldosteronism is an endocrine disorder that occurs when the adrenal glands produce too much of the hormone aldosterone, frequently caused by the presence of nodules on the glands. High aldosterone levels cause the body to retain too much sodium and not enough potassium. This imbalance can lead to high blood pressure, putting patients at an increased risk of stroke and heart disease.
“In primary aldosteronism, it’s important for physicians to differentiate between surgically eligible and ineligible forms so that they can develop the best treatment plan. This is usually done with adrenal CT and adrenal venous sampling. However, is rather challenging and often imprecise to diagnose adrenal micronodules with these methods,” said Li Huo, MD, PhD, professor and chair in the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing, China. “To more clearly image these micronodules, we combined PET/CT with a unique tracer that targets specific receptors in the adrenal glands and evaluated its performance.”
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