Abnormal regional cerebral blood flow in primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome patients with normal magnetic resonance imaging findings. A preliminary report.
Technetium-99m ethyl cysteinate dimer (Tc-99m ECD) brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was used to detect abnormal regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (PAPS) patients. The patients had mild neuropsychiatric manifestations and normal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in this preliminary study. Fifteen such female PAPS patients were examined with Tc-99m ECD brain SPECT in order to evaluate the rCBF. In addition, serum anti-cardiolipin antibodies (ACA) and lupus anticoagulant (LA) were simultaneously measured for comparison.


RESULTS
(a) Tc-99m ECD brain SPECT revealed hypoperfusion brain lesions in 12 (80%) of the PAPS patients. Pariental lobes were the most commonly involved areas. (b) 11 (73%) and 9 (60%) cases had positive ACA and positive LA, respectively. In addition, ACA and LA results were correlated to the Tc-99m ECD brain SPECT findings. Tc-99m ECD brain SPECT is a sensitive tool for detecting abnormal rCBF in PAPS patients with mild neuropsychiatric manifestations and normal brain MRI findings.
Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical College Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
J J H
JJ
Chen
Y C
YC
Shiau
J J
JJ
Wang
S T
ST
Ho
A
A
Kao
D000328:Adult; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C059659:technetium Tc 99m bicisate; D003545:Cysteine