Somatostatin Receptor Scintigraphy in Postsurgical Follow-Up Examinations of Meningioma

Surgery is the treatment of choice in patients with meningioma. However, the risk of postoperative, local recurrence is well-known since total resection is not always feasible. Moreover, in these patients MRI may fail to differentiate between tumor remnants, recurrent meningioma or nonspecific hyperperfusion. In this study, the value of functional imaging using somatostatin receptor scintig-raphy (SRS) was evaluated in postsurgical follow-up. Methods: Before and 2-3 mo after surgery, 27 patients with meningioma received MRI as well as SRS after intravenous injection of 200 MBq 111ln-octreotide. Planar whole-body images were obtained at 10 min, 1, 4 and 24 hr postinjection, and SPECT was performed at 4 and 24 hr postinjection. The final diagnosis was proven histologically in all patients. Results: Before surgery, MRI showed focal contrast enhancement in all patients, and SRS revealed focal accumulation of 111ln-octreotide. Thus, MRI and SRS yielded comparable result