68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT Uptake and Physiological Impairment in DIPNECH: An Exploratory Case Series
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Background/Objectives: Diffuse idiopathic pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia (DIPNECH) can cause respiratory symptoms and physiological impairment. We explored associations between quantitative ⁶⁸Ga-DOTATOC uptake, pulmonary physiology and nodule count in histologically confirmed DIPNECH. Methods: This retrospective single-centre series included six consecutive adults diagnosed during 2020–2025 who underwent ⁶⁸Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT. Histological confirmation was obtained by surgical lung biopsy in four patients and transbronchial cryobiopsy in two. Spearman correlations assessed associations of maximum standardised uptake value (SUVmax) with pulmonary-function measures and a post hoc composite index incorporating diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO), FEF25–75 and FEV1/FVC. Nodule count was compared with DLCO. Analyses were exploratory, without adjustment for multiple comparisons. Results: All patients were women (mean age, 70.3 ± 8.9 years). SUVmax correlated inversely with DLCO (ρ = −0.90; p = 0.015) and FEF25–75 (ρ = −0.84; p = 0.036), and positively with the composite index (ρ = +0.90; p = 0.015). The nodule-count–DLCO association was uncertain (ρ = −0.37; p = 0.47). A post hoc SUVmax split at approximately 4 identified groups with different mean physiological measurements but was not evaluated as a diagnostic threshold. Conclusions: Higher DOTATOC uptake was associated with greater physiological impairment in this selected six-patient series. The findings support prospective investigation of somatostatin-receptor imaging in DIPNECH. They do not establish superiority over nodule counting, an actionable SUVmax threshold or a preferred biopsy strategy.
Source: Journal of Clinical Medicine
DOI: 10.3390/jcm15218316
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
OpenAlex ID: W7214922865