Imaging of Pheochromocytomas and Paragangliomas

Abstract

Pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas are unique in their highly variable molecular landscape driven by genetic alterations, either germline or somatic. These mutations translate into different clusters with distinct tumor locations, biochemical/metabolomic features, tumor cell characteristics (eg, receptors, transporters), and disease course. Such tumor heterogeneity calls for different imaging strategies in order to provide proper diagnosis and follow-up. This also warrants selection of the most appropriate and locally available imaging modalities tailored to an individual patient based on consideration of many relevant factors including age, (anticipated) tumor location(s), size, and multifocality, underlying genotype, biochemical phenotype, chance of metastases, as well as the patient's personal preference and treatment goals. Anatomical imaging using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging and functional imaging using positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography are currently a cornerstone in the evaluation of patients with pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas. In modern nuclear medicine practice, a multitude of radionuclides with relevance to diagnostic work-up and treatment planning (theranostics) is available, including radiolabeled metaiodobenzylguanidine, fluorodeoxyglucose, fluorodihydroxyphenylalanine, and somatostatin analogues. This review amalgamates up-to-date imaging guidelines, expert opinions, and recent discoveries. Based on the rich toolbox for anatomical and functional imaging that is currently available, we aim to define a customized approach in patients with (suspected) pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas from a practical clinical perspective. We provide imaging algorithms for different starting points for initial diagnostic work-up and course of the disease, including adrenal incidentaloma, established biochemical diagnosis, postsurgical follow-up, tumor screening in pathogenic variant carriers, staging and restaging of metastatic disease, theranostics, and response monitoring.

Keywords: CT; MRI; PET; SPECT; paraganglioma; pheochromocytoma.