Brain single photon emission computed tomography with Tc-99m MIBI or Tc-99m ECD in comparison to MRI in multiple sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether or not brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with Tc-99m MIBI or Tc-99m ECD (ethyl cysteinate dimer) can detect any abnormality in patients with definite multiple sclerosis (MS). We then compared these values with the results of T1, T2, and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).


METHODS
A total of 16 patients with proved MS were enrolled in the study, and the MRI with and without gadolinium contrast and also brain SPECT with Tc-99m MIBI (8 cases) or Tc-99m ECD (8 other cases) were performed.


RESULTS
MRI studies was performed in 16 patients (13 women and 3 men, aged 16-38 years) and an average of 10.47, 3.7, 5.3, 1.7, and 0.9 lesions was found in respect in periventricular white matter, juxtacortical white matter, corpus callosum, cerebellar peduncles, and brainstem, whereas brain SPECT with Tc-99m MIBI or Tc-99m ECD detected no abnormality. In addition, 6 cases had some degree of contrast enhancement.


CONCLUSIONS
It seems that brain SPECT with Tc-99m MIBI or Tc-99m ECD would not improve this insufficiency. The small sizes of some plaques, particularly in chronic atrophic form of lesions, and the possibility of deeper anatomic positions of plaques can explain to some extent why the MS lesions were impossible to delineate on brain scan, although additional studies are needed.
Assadi
Majid
M
Bushehr Research Center for Nuclear Medicine, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran. assadipoya@yahoo.com
Salimipour
Hooman
H
Seyedabadi
Mohammad
M
Saberifard
Jamshid
J
Javadi
Hamid
H
Nabipour
Iraj
I
Nemati
Reza
R
D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; C059659:technetium Tc 99m bicisate; D003545:Cysteine