Cardiac 123I-MIBG scintigraphy in patients with essential tremor.
In some cases, it is difficult to differentiate essential tremor (ET) from Parkinson's disease (PD), especially in the early stages of the disease. We investigated cardiac sympathetic dysfunction using (123)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) myocardial scintigraphy in 22 patients with ET, in comparison with early PD and tremor-dominant PD (TDPD). The mean ratio of (123)I-MIBG uptake in the region of interest in the heart to that in the mediastinum (H/M ratio) was significantly greater in patients with ET (1.99 +/- 0.21) than in those with either TDPD (1.28 +/- 0.11) or early PD (1.28 +/- 0.17; each P < 0.001). The H/M ratio in all patients with ET was greater than two standard deviations above the range of the ratio in the patients with early PD or TDPD.
Lee
Phil Hyu
PH
Department of Neurology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea. phisland@chol.com
Kim
Ji Won
JW
Bang
Oh Young
OY
Joo
In Soo
IS
Yoon
Seok-Nam
SN
Huh
Kyoon
K