OBJECT: The object was to study the value of postoperative positron emission tomography (PET) to assess the extension of brain tumor resection.
METHODS: Twenty children operated on for total resection of a glial tumor (18 low-grade, 2 anaplastic) presented a signal on postoperative magnetic resonance (MR) images raising the question of a possible tumor residue. PET was performed early ((18)F-Fluoro-deoxyglucose in 1, (11)C-methionine in 16, both in 3) to further characterize the nature of the abnormal MR signal in order to consider second-look surgery. An increased tracer uptake found in 14 children led to reoperation on 11 of them, confirming the tumor histologically. No (11)C-methionine uptake led to a conservative attitude in 6 children in whom MR imaging follow-up showed no tumor progression.
CONCLUSIONS: The early postoperative PET, especially with (11)C-methionine, appears to be a valid basis for complementary therapeutic decisions, especially second-look surgery, in glial tumors for which a radical resection is a key factor for prognosis.