Positron emission tomography (PET) is extremely accurate in diagnosing a type of congenital hyperinsulinism (HI), a rare but severe imbalance of insulin levels in newborns.
That finding comes from research at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia.
The study, published in the February 2007 issue of the Journal of Pediatrics, notes that when the disease is confined to a limited section of a baby's pancreas, a PET scan is 100% accurate in locating the abnormal spot and guiding surgeons to curative, organ-sparing surgery.
Using F-18 fluoro-L-dihydroxyphenylalanine ([18F]-DOPA), researchers diagnosed focal or diffuse hyperinsulinism correctly in 23 of the 24 cases, for an accuracy of 96%.
By AuntMinnie.com staff writers
January 30, 2007
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