A case of multiple sclerosis with homonymous hemianopia examined by positron emission tomography.
BACKGROUND
To demonstrate the efficacy of positron emission tomography (PET) for examining multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with hemianopia.


METHODS
A 20-year-old man visited us with a complaint of left homonymous hemianopia and headache.


METHODS
The patient's visual acuity was 1.2 (n.c.) OD and 0.9 (1.0) OS. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a mass in the temporoparietal lobe. A pathological diagnosis of MS was made by brain biopsy. Low glucose metabolism in the lesion and visual cortex was observed by PET with (18)F-fluorodeoxy glucose. PET with (11)C-flumazenyl revealed a reduction of (11)C-uptake in the demyelinated optic radiation, and only a slight reduction of (11)C-uptake in the primary visual cortex. The results of (11)C-flumazenyl PET suggested a slight reduction of neuronal density. In 2 years, the visual field recovered to the normal state.


CONCLUSIONS
PET can be a useful tool for estimating the visual outcome of patients with hemianopia in MS.
Murai
Hideki
H
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Postgraduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8591, Japan.
Kiyosawa
Motohiro
M
Suzuki
Yukihisa
Y
Mizoguchi
Shoichi
S
Ishii
Kenji
K
Ishikawa
Kinya
K
Akashi
Takumi
T
D000328:Adult; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006423:Hemianopsia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D014794:Visual Fields
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals