[Ga-68]-Pentixafor PET/CT imaging of lymphoproliferative malignancies

Purpose This report evaluates [Ga-68]-Pentixafor and [F-18]-FDG PET/CT uptake patterns of patients with lymphoproliferative malignancies. Methods Patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) who underwent [F-18]-FDG PET/CT for staging followed by [Ga-68]-Pentixafor PET/CT within 1 week were retrospectively evaluated. Patterns of [F-18]-FDG and [Ga-68]-Pentixafor uptake characteristics were described in histopathologically confirmed patients. Results Two patients with CLL, five with B-cell lymphomas, and four with T-cell lymphomas , with a mean age of 56.8 years (range 22-80), were included in this study. Four B-cell lymphoma patients were [F-18]-FDG and [Ga-68]-Pentixafor positive, whereas one patient was only [F-18]-FDG-positive. [Ga-68]-Pentixafor uptake in two patients and [F-18]-FDG uptake in one patient was higher than the other, and one patient demonstrated a heterogeneous uptake pattern with flip-flop tracer uptake. Aggressive transformation to lymphoma in one CLL patient was presented with mild [Ga-68]-Pentixafor uptake in the [F-18]-FDG-positive lymph nodes. The other CLL patient had mild [F-18]-FDG uptake and no [Ga-68]-Pentixafor uptake in the lymph nodes, but bone marrow involvement was only detected by [Ga-68]-Pentixafor PET/CT. Three of four patients with T-cell lymphoma patients demonstrated [F-18]-FDG and [Ga-68]-Pentixafor uptake, and one patient was only positive on [F-18]-FDG PET/CT. Conclusion Our results demonstrate [Ga-68]-Pentixafor uptake in different subtypes of NHL and CLL; however, the potential complementary role of [Ga-68]-Pentixafor PET/CT towards personalized diagnostic concepts remains yet to be determined by further studies