Renal Cortical 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET and 99mTc-DMSA Images.

68Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) ligands are novel PET radiotracers for prostate cancer. These radiotracers also localize in the normal renal cortex to a high degree and can demonstrate parenchymal defects. We recently started a prospective research study to compare 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT with 99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scan in adults with pyelonephritis. Here, we present a side-by-side comparison of renal cortical PSMA PET/CT and DMSA images of an adult patient with chronic recurring pyelonephritis.

Methods

Our prospective study was approved by the Ethical Committees. DMSA images (multiple planar and SPECT) were obtained 3 h after intravenous injection of 111 MBq (3 mCi) of 99mTc-DMSA. On a separate day, we obtained PET/CT images of the kidneys 60 min after intravenous injection of 74 MBq (2 mCi) of 68Ga-PSMA-11 after the patient provided written informed consent.

Results

The patient was a 46-y-old woman with history of chronic recurring pyelonephritis. Both DMSA scan and PSMA PET/CT demonstrated slight cortical thinning with mildly reduced uptake in the upper pole of the right kidney, with no significant cortical defects. There was an excellent distribution of activity in the renal cortex and better image resolution with PSMA PET than with DMSA scan. Non-attenuation-corrected PSMA PET images also showed the same findings, with reasonable image quality.

Conclusion

In our first case, 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET imaging provided promising results in an adult patient with pyelonephritis. The results of our prospective study on a larger number of adult patients will provide a more accurate comparison of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET to 99mTc-DMSA scanning in pyelonephritis.