Tc-99m HMPAO brain SPECT imaging in children with acute cerebellar ataxia.
OBJECTIVE
We prospectively evaluated consecutive cases of acute cerebellar ataxia in children to identify brain perfusion SPECT features associated with acute cerebellar ataxia and to correlate the brain SPECT findings to clinical severity and prognosis.


RESULTS
Among the 10 consecutive children with acute cerebellar ataxia, 7 had abnormal Tc-99m HMPAO brain SPECT findings (4 cerebellar hypoperfusion, 5 unilateral cortical and/or subcortical hypoperfusion, and 1 unilateral cortical hyperperfusion), in contrast to no abnormalities disclosed by CT or MR imagings. Furthermore, the extent of brain perfusion SPECT abnormalities correlated significantly with the clinical severity and the recovery time of cerebellar ataxia. Sixty percent of children with acute cerebellar ataxia had cortical and/or subcortical involvement, which implied the wider involvement of acute cerebellar ataxia than what has been thought.


CONCLUSIONS
The present data suggest that Tc-99m HMPAO brain SPECT is a sensitive modality for providing prognostic information in childhood acute cerebellar ataxia.
Hung
Pi-Lien
PL
Departments of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Huang
Shu-Hua
SH
Huang
Chao-Ching
CC
Huang
Song-Chei
SC
Chang
Ying-Chao
YC
D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002524:Cerebellar Ataxia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010477:Perfusion; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime