Background: Gilles de la Tourette’s syndrome (GTS) is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder. Functional neuroimaging technique such as 99mTc-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (HMPAO) brain SPECT has been used widely to evaluate the patients with GTS; however, the feasibility of 99mTc-ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD) brain SPECT in evaluation of patients with GTS has not been reported, especially in children. The aim of this
preliminary study was to evaluate the potential usefulness of 99mTc-ECD brain SPECT in detecting brain perfusion abnormalities in children with GTS.
Methods: A group of 7 normal control subjects and 17 unmedicated GTS children (15 boys and 2 girls ranging in age from 4 to 11 years) underwent a brain SPECT study with 99mTc-ECD. Those with a known underlying history of brain trauma, epilepsy or encephalitis/meningitis were excluded.
Results: 16 of 17 (94.1%) of the GTS children had
lesions characterized by decreased brain perfusion on 99mTc-ECD brain SPECT scan. The left hemisphere was more frequently involved and major perfusion abnormalities were found in the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe and basal ganglia. In contrast, all 7 normal controls (100.0%) had negative results of 99mTc-ECD brain SPECT scan.
Conclusion: Our preliminary study showed that 99mTc-ECD brain SPECT scan may provide a useful functional neuroimaging technique in the evaluation of children with GTS.
關聯:
Annals of Nuclear Medicine and Sciences 14(3):149~153
