68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT Detects Multifocal Hepatocellular Carcinoma

68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT Detects Multifocal Hepatocellular Carcinoma: 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT confirmed somatostatin receptor (SR) expression in hypervascularized liver lesions suggestive of neuroendocrine tumor that was later diagnosed as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Being highly vascularized on CT, HCC lesions may mimic neuroendocrine tumors. Although HCC is not included among current indications for SR-PET/CT imaging, it may represent a pitfall in image interpretation when studying neuroendocrine tumor patients. Further studies are needed to better ascertain the potential diagnostic role of SR-imaging in HCC.

Received for publication August 20, 2019; revision accepted November 2, 2019.

Conflicts of interest and sources of funding: none declared.

Correspondence to: Elena Tabacchi, MD, Nuclear Medicine, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, S. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, University of Bologna, Pad. 30, Via Massarenti, 940128 Bologna, Italy. E-mail: tabacchielena@libero.it.

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