CAN SOMATOSTATIN RECEPTOR SCINTIGRAPHY CL OSE THE GAP IN LOCALIZATIONDIAGNOSIS IN CASE OF GASTRINOMA

The results of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy in nine patients wit h gastrin producing neuroendocrine tumors are presented: all known tum ors (primary tumors and metastases) could be detected due to an intens ive uptake of the In-111 labelled pentetreotide and tumor detectabilit y was not correlated with tumor size or location. Two primary tumors c ould be shown scintigraphically, whose localization had been failed by other diagnostic procedures. Furthermore, asymptomatic osseous metast ases of the skull and the spine were detected. Due to its high sensiti vity and specificity, somatostatin receptor scintigraphy turns out to be a powerful diagnostic tool in the staging and follow-up of patients with gastrinoma.