Melanin-Targeted PET Imaging With 18F-PFPN for Identifying Gastric Metastatic Melanoma.

A 47-year-old man, who had a history of occipital skin dissection for melanoma, underwent 18F-FDG and 18F-PFPN (a specific tracer targeting melanin) PET due to increased stomach discomfort and melena. In 18F-FDG and 18F-PFPN images, strong uptakes were both found in the thickened gastric wall, which was suspected as metastatic melanoma to the stomach. This was further confirmed by pathological biopsy of gastric tissue. Our case illustrated that melanin-targeted PET imaging could provide an effective method for searching the metastases of melanoma.