LONG-TERM POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY-EVALUATION OF SLOWLY PROGRESSIVE GLIOMAS

Non-invasive positron emission tomography (PET) was performed to ident ify changes in blood flow and metabolism, specific to early stages of tumour occurrence or recurrence. 2 patients with slowly progressive gl iomas from early to late stages of tumour development were analysed by serial PET measurements of circulation and metabolism using O-15-gas and F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose. PET revealed a persistent depression of o xygen metabolism, as indicated by the regional oxygen extraction fract ion or metabolic rate of oxygen, in the regions where tumours were lat er found. Abnormal blood flow and metabolism may precede the morpholog ical changes detected by computed tomography (CT) in patients with gli omas. Copyright (C) 1996 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.