Imaging Characteristics of ⁶⁸Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT in Tumor-Induced Osteomalacia

Tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome caused by tumors secreting fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) that promotes urinary phosphorus excretion. Thus, TIO is typically characterized by phosphoruria, hypophosphatemia, and osteomalacia. Diagnosis and localization of the tumor is often difficult due to its small size, slow growth and concealed location. Due to the high expression of somatostatin receptors in pathogenic tumors, nuclear medicine functional imaging, particularly somatostatin receptor imaging, is used for diagnosis and localization of culprit tumors with high sensitivity and specificity. Here we retrospectively analyze 25 cases in which ⁶⁸Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT successfully localized and diagnosed TIO culprit tumors. The clinical features, pathological results and image characteristics of ⁶⁸Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT imaging were analyzed and compared with other imaging diagnostic techniques. It was confirmed that ⁶⁸Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT imaging was the preferred imaging technique for successful diagnosis and localization of TIO pathogenic tumors.