[Role of positron emission tomography in the hemodynamic evaluation of brain tumors].

The review analyzes the literature on the use positron emission tomography (PET) with various radiopharmaceuticals in the assessment of cerebral blood flow, perfusion, the blood-brain barrier in order to investigate the biological properties, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, staging of brain neoplasms and in the evaluation of the efficiency of their treatment. The main qualitative perfusion and cerebral blood flow indicators that can be identified by PET are described in detail and compared with morphological criteria for estimation of angiogenesis and the degree of tumor tissue vascularization.

[Differential diagnosis of brain gliomas by positron emission tomography using various radiopharmaceuticals].

Objective: To comparatively study the diagnostic capabilities of positron emission tomography (PET) with various tumorotropic radiopharmaceuticals (TRPs) in detecting malignant brain gliomas (BG) and estimating their degree.

Material And Methods: One hundred and fourteen patients, including 47 with histologically verified glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), 27 with anaplastic astrocytoma (AA), 23 with benign astrocytoma (BA), and 17 with postoperative cysts, were examined. PET was performed using TRPs: 18F-fluorodesoxyglucose (18F-FDG), 11C-sodium butyrate (11C-SB), 11C-L-methionine (11C-MET), and 11C-choline (11C-COL).

[First experience of using positron emission tomography with 11C-choline in prostate cancer (PC)].

Introduction into clinical practice of combined positron emission technology and computer tomography (PET/CT) allows in one study to identify structural and functional abnormalities. The study involves 32 patients who underwent PET/CT with "C-choline, including 5 patients with prostate cancer (PC), 3--with chronic prostatitis and 24--with biochemical PC recurrence. PET/CT with 11C-choline has a high diagnostic efficacy in detection of local recurrence and PC metastases in patients with biochemical PC recurrence.

[MRI with dynamic contrast enhancement in brain tumors].

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the leading method of radiation diagnosis of brain tumors. In conditions of the artificial contrast enhancement there are more clearly differentiated the boundaries of the tumor node on the back of peritumorous edema and identified structural features of the tumor. The purpose of this study was to examine indicators of the dynamics of accumulation and removal of contrast agents by brain tumors in MRI technique with dynamic contrast and identify opportunities of this method in the differential diagnosis of various types of tumors.