Prognostic significance of amino acid transport imaging in patients with brain tumors.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic significance of presence, intensity, and extent of amino acid uptake in patients with suspected primary or recurrent brain tumors.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 181 consecutive studies of amino acid uptake using single-photon emission computed tomography and the amino acid l-[3-(123)I]iodo-alpha-methyltyrosine (IMT). In a blinded analysis, all studies were evaluated for presence, maximal uptake (IMT(max)), and extent (IMT(ext)) of focal tracer uptake.