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- First Report: 18F-FDOPA PET Helps Manage Suspected Choroid Plexus Tumor in Dog
First Report: 18F-FDOPA PET Helps Manage Suspected Choroid Plexus Tumor in Dog
Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2025
Obi Veterinary Education
February 02, 2026
Juwon Wang, Yeon Chae, Dohee Lee, Taesik Yun, Hakhyun Kim, Byeong-Teck Kang
Background:
Intraventricular brain tumors in dogs, especially those arising from the choroid plexus, are difficult to diagnose and manage. MRI and CSF analysis provide supportive but not definitive diagnosis, and advanced imaging techniques such as 18F-FDOPA PET could offer metabolic insights not available through conventional imaging. This case report describes the use of 18F-FDOPA PET/CT in managing a dog with an intraventricular mass suspected to be a choroid plexus papilloma (CPP).
Methods:
An 8-year-old neutered male Miniature Poodle presenting with lethargy, anorexia, and seizures underwent MRI, revealing a papilliform intraventricular mass. An initial 18F-FDOPA PET/CT scan was performed 53 days post-presentation, followed by chemotherapy with prednisolone and cyclophosphamide. A second 18F-FDOPA PET/CT scan was conducted 117 days into treatment to assess metabolic tumor activity. Tumor metabolic volume (MTV), standardized uptake values (SUV), and tumor-to-normal tissue (T/N) ratios were evaluated and compared over time.
Results:
The initial PET/CT scan showed moderate 18F-FDOPA uptake (SUVmean 1.2, SUVmax 1.42, T/N ratio 1.33) without evidence of metastasis. The second scan demonstrated increased metabolic activity (SUVmean 1.49, SUVmax 1.85, T/N ratio 1.62) despite a decrease in tumor size on contrast-enhanced CT. MTV increased from 1.184 cm³ to 2.217 cm³, correlating with worsening clinical signs. The dog survived 186 days post-diagnosis and 120 days post-chemotherapy initiation. No necropsy was performed; diagnosis remained presumptive based on imaging and clinical findings.
Limitations:
The lack of histopathological confirmation limits diagnostic certainty. As a single case report, broader conclusions about 18F-FDOPA PET utility in veterinary medicine are premature. PET parameters and clinical outcomes could also be influenced by factors unrelated to tumor biology, and no direct comparison with biopsy-confirmed cases was available.
Conclusions:
This case highlights the potential utility of 18F-FDOPA PET/CT in diagnosing and monitoring intraventricular brain tumors in dogs. Increased MTV despite size reduction on CT suggests that PET-based metabolic imaging may better predict tumor behavior and prognosis than anatomic imaging alone. Further studies with larger populations are needed to validate 18F-FDOPA PET as a routine tool in veterinary neuro-oncology.
18F-FDOPA PET/CT findings in a dog with an intraventricular tumor suspected to be choroid plexus papilloma. The first image was taken on day 53, after initial symptomatic therapy (A–C); Contrast-enhanced CT (A) image shows size of 1.3 × 1.4 × 1.2 cm papilliform shaped mass (arrow heads). 18F-FDOPA PET (B) and PET/CT fusion (C) images showed elevated 18F-FDOPA uptake (dotted circles) with SUVmean 1.2, SUVmax 1.42, T/N ratio 1.33, and MTV 1.184 cm3. The second image was captured on day 117 after initiation of chemotherapy; Contrast-enhanced CT (D) image shows size of 1.0 × 1.0 × 1.3 cm papilliform shaped mass (arrows). 18F-FDOPA PET (E) and PET/CT fusion (F) images demonstrated remarkable elevated 18F-FDOPA uptake in the papilliform shaped tumor lesion (circles) with SUVmean 1.49, SUVmax 1.62, T/N ratio 1.62, and MTV 2.217 cm3. The black and white scale bar represents high 18F-FDOPA uptake in black and low uptake in white (B and E), while the color scale bar represents high 18F-FDOPA uptake in yellow and low uptake in red (C, F). 18F-FDOPA, 3,4-dihydroxy-6-[18F]-fluoro-l-phenylalanine; PET, positron emission tomography; CT, computed tomography; SUV, standard uptake value; T/N, tumor to normal tissue; MTV, metabolic tumor volume.
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