Imaging of bronchial carcinoid tumours with indium - 1 1 1

Neuroendocrine tumours are characterised by the expression of high affinity binding sites for somatostatin. The detection of bronchial carcinoid tumours through scintigraphic imaging is described in two patients using the novel radiolabelled somatostatin analogue indium-111 pentetreotide. (Thorax 1994;49:284-286) Large numbers of high affinity somatostatin binding sites have been found on most tumours characterised by the expression of neuroendocrine markers.' The development of radiolabelled somatostatin analogues for radiodiagnostic purposes has led to the detection of such tumours in vivo through scintigraphic imaging.2 In a recent study Lamberts et al detected the primary tumours or metastases in 12 of 13 patients with gastrointestinal carcinoid tumours.2 Bronchial carcinoid tumours are well differentiated neuroendocrine malignancies which account for approximately 5% of all lung tumours. We have investigated the efficacy of the radiolabelled somatostatin analogue indium1 1l pentetreotide6 in detecting disease in two patients with biopsy proven bronchial carcinoid tumours before surgery. Methods Indium1 1 1 diethylenetriaminopentaacetic acid linked SMS 201 995 (octreotide), indium111 pentetreotide, was supplied by Mallinck284 group.bmj.com on December 29, 2017 Published by http://thorax.bmj.com/ Downloaded from