The Use of PET in the Evaluation of Tumors in Children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is one of the most common tumor predisposition disorders. The role of PET for distinguishing tumor from non-malignant processes, detecting and grading tumors, evaluating tumor margins, predicting prognosis, directing biopsy, planning treatment, and evaluating response to therapy has been established for a wide variety of benign and malignant tumors. Children with NF1 are particularly at risk for the development of tumors of the peripheral and central nervous system, such as neurofibromas, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, and low-grade astrocytomas of the optic pathway and other brain regions. This article reviews the role of PET in the management of these NF1-associated tumors of childhood.