Clinical Application of 68Ga-Pentixafor PET/CT for the Detection of Thymoma: A Pilot Study

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate 68 Ga-pentixafor, which targets C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), in the noninvasive diagnosis of thymomas. Patients and Methods: With institutional review board approval and signed informed consent, 32 patients with thymic masses were enrolled in this study, and all patients underwent 68 Ga-pentixafor PET/CT scans. Results: Among the 28 patients included in the analysis, 13 patients were diagnosed with thymomas, 9 patients with cysts, and 6 patients with other anterior mediastinal masses. 68 Ga-pentixafor identified all patients with thymomas (13/13, 100%), and the mean SUV max in all 13 thymomas lesions was 13.96±8.20, which was significantly higher than that in patients with cysts (1.54±0.88) and other anterior mediastinal masses (2.59±1.68), respectively ( P <0.001). Conclusions: The preliminary study indicates the diagnostic utility of 68 Ga-pentixafor in thymomas and the differential diagnostic ability of 68 Ga-pentixafor in thymomas, thymic cysts and other benign anterior mediastinal masses.