HMPAO brain SPECT in acute carbon monoxide poisoning.
Technetium-99m-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (HMPAO) brain images with fanbeam SPECT, in combination with surface three-dimensional display, were used to detect basal ganglion and cerebral cortex anomalies in the acute phase of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.


METHODS
Ten patients, aged 16-29 yr, with acute CO poisoning and no past history of neurologic disorders were enrolled in this study. After oxygen treatment, all 10 patients were investigated using 99mTc-HMPAO brain images with fanbeam SPECT and surface three-dimensional display. Meanwhile, 6 of 10 patients also received a brain CT scan.


RESULTS
CT scan findings were negative in all 6 patients. Fanbeam SPECT demonstrated unilateral or bilateral hypoactivity of basal ganglia in 6 patients. Local hypoactivity anomalies were found in the brain cortex of 7 patients, using surface three-dimensional display of the brain. Only 2 of 10 patients had normal 99mTc-HMPAO brain images.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that, in comparison with traditional brain imaging techniques, 99mTc-HMPAO brain imaging with fanbeam SPECT in combination with surface three-dimensional display is a better tool for early detection of regional cerebral anomalies in acute CO poisoning.
Kao
C H
CH
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Hung
D Z
DZ
ChangLai
S P
SP
Liao
K K
KK
Chieng
P U
PU
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002249:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime