Quantitative study of radioiodinated metaiodobenzylguanidine uptake in children with neuroblastoma: correlation with tumor histopathology.

Six children with neuroblastoma and one with ganglioneuroma received [125I] metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) before major surgery. Uptake of [125I]MIBG in the excised tissues was measured by scintillation counting, and the material was submitted for histopathology. The ranges of uptake of [125I]MIBG, expressed as percent of the injected dose per gram of tissue, were as follows: for neuroblastoma 0.0013-0.071, for ganglioneuroma 0.0017-0.0028, and for non-neoplastic control tissues 0.0002-0.011. The quantitative uptake of [125I]MIBG by neuroblastoma varied between different patients and between different parts of individual tumors. The more undifferentiated tumors took up more [125I]MIBG and may be more likely to respond to targeted radiotherapy with MIBG.