Limitations of the HMPAO SPECT appearances of occipital lobe perfusion in the differential diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the utility of the appearances of occipital lobe perfusion on HMPAO SPECT in the diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) using the 123I-FP-CIT findings as the diagnostic 'gold standard'.


METHODS
Eighty-four consecutive patients underwent both HMPAO SPECT and 123I-FP-CIT as part of their routine investigations for suspected DLB.


RESULTS
Thirty-nine of the 84 FP-CIT scans were abnormal indicating a prevalence of 44% of patients with DLB in this series. In those patients classified as DLB, 28% of HMPAO SPECT scans demonstrated occipital hypoperfusion. In those patients with a dementia other than DLB 31% of patients demonstrated occipital hypoperfusion (P=0.8).


CONCLUSIONS
Occipital lobe hypoperfusion as demonstrated by HMPAO SPECT in patients with suspected Lewy body dementia does not appear to be able to either rule in, or rule out, the diagnosis of DLB.
Kemp
Paul M
PM
Department of Nuclear Medicine and Medical Physics, Southampton University Hospitals Trust, Southampton, UK. paul.kemp@suht.swest.nhs.uk
Hoffmann
Sandra A
SA
Tossici-Bolt
Livia
L
Fleming
John S
JS
Holmes
Clive
C
D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020961:Lewy Body Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods*