Dopa PET-CT

6—¹⁸F —L-3,4 —dihydroxyphenylalanine (¹⁸F-DOPA) is a PET tracer used for imaging neuroendocrine tumors which are derived from neuroendocrine cells. Neuroendocrine cells regulate a variety of body functions through paracrine stimulation. This is achieved via the production of a large variety of hormones, of which serotonin is the most prominent example, but the cate-cholamines, dopamine and (nor)adrenalin, and histamine may also be produced. The production of these hormones is accomplished via amine precursor uptake and decar-boxylation. In differentiated neuroendocrine tumors, the capability to synthesize hormonal products has quite often remained. This makes imaging with amine precursors interesting in these tumors.