Evaluation of Congenital Hyperinsulinism Using 18F-FDOPA PET.

Congenital hyperinsulinism is the most common cause of persistent hypoglycemia in infants and is caused by mutations in genes encoding proteins regulating insulin secretion. Children with persistent hypoglycemia due to hyperinsulinism (HI) that do not respond to therapy with diazoxide may require surgical treatment. Approximately 50% of these children have a focal form of HI that can be cured by surgical resection. Rapid genetic analysis helps predict the likelihood of focal disease and is essential for choosing patients who will benefit from an 18F-l-dihydroxyphenylalanine PET scan for localization of a focal lesion.