title: HM-PAO spect in head trauma.
abstract: Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) after intravenous administration of Technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene-amine oxime (Tc-99m HM-PAO) makes possible the evaluation of cerebral perfusion. We have been assessing the diagnostic accuracy of SPECT in some groups of head trauma patients: the preliminary results of this study are presented. Fourteen patients have been selected, all of them showing some kind of focal neurological deficit; the Computed Tomography (CT) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) were normal, or showed lesions that could not be responsible for the neurological deficits. In all of the patients Tc-99m HM-PAO SPECT has been performed, showing changes in cerebral perfusion in areas correlated with the abnormalities elicited on clinical examination. These results show that Tc-99m HM-PAO SPECT is a better technique than CT or NMR in demonstrating the organic basis of some neurological deficits observed after head trauma.
authors.affiliation: Neurology and Neurosurgery Department, Hospital de S. João, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vaz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cerejo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mourão
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Amaral
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply*; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010091:Oximes; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010091:Oximes; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime