Positron-emission computed tomography of the pancreas: a preliminary study.

Twenty-seven patients with suspected pancreatic disease were examined with emission computed tomography (ECT) with 11C-labeled amino acids. Of 24 patients with known clinical outcome, there were 1 false positive and 2 false negative results. One finding of interest was the increased concentration of radiopharmaceutical that accurately delineated the presence and extent of 4 pancreatic carcinomas and 1 lymphoma. In the normal subjects ECT reliably identified the pancreas. Disadvantages of ECT include the need for a cyclotron and high-quality hot chemistry laboratory, and the relatively long scanning time. The advantage of ECT is that it offers a unique opportunity to image biologic activity of the pancreas.