Technetium 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT in children and adolescents with neurologic disorders

J Child Neurol. 1993 Jul;8(3):227-34. doi: 10.1177/088307389300800304.

Abstract

We evaluated regional cerebral blood flow with technetium 99mTc hexamethylpropyleneamineoxime single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in 20 children and adolescents with neurologic dysfunction of varied etiology and abnormal electroencephalograms (EEGs). All patients were also examined with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Abnormal perfusion was found in 17 (85%) of 20 SPECT scans. Abnormal CT or MRI scans were noted in nine (45%) and in 10 (50%) of 20 cases, respectively. In eight (73%) of 11 cases with normal CT scans and in seven (70%) of 10 with normal MRI scans, the SPECT scan was abnormal. Abnormal regional cerebral blood flow on SPECT scans correlated better with EEG abnormalities than with neurologic examination or CT or MRI scan findings. We conclude that in children and adolescents with a spectrum of neurologic diseases and abnormal EEGs, abnormalities of brain structure or function are more likely to be documented by SPECT than by CT or MRI scans. SPECT findings correlate well with the location and type of EEG abnormality.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Brain Diseases / diagnostic imaging*
  • Brain Diseases / pathology
  • Cerebrovascular Circulation
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Electroencephalography
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Intellectual Disability / diagnosis
  • Intellectual Disability / diagnostic imaging
  • Intellectual Disability / physiopathology
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Nervous System Diseases / diagnosis
  • Nervous System Diseases / diagnostic imaging*
  • Nervous System Diseases / physiopathology
  • Organotechnetium Compounds*
  • Oximes*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Organotechnetium Compounds
  • Oximes
  • Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime