
CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dr Bruno Di Muzio / Radiopaedia / Wikimedia Commons · source file
This brain perfusion SPECT shows the usual distribution pattern: highest uptake in the grey matter (cortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum) and lower uptake in white matter. Which radiopharmaceutical is most commonly used for brain perfusion SPECT?
A. Tc-99m HMPAO (hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime)
Tc-99m HMPAO (Ceretec) and Tc-99m ECD (Neurolite) are the radiopharmaceuticals used for brain perfusion SPECT. They are lipophilic agents that cross the blood-brain barrier and are retained in neurons proportional to cerebral blood flow. HMPAO was the first widely used agent. Tc-99m MDP is used for bone scans. Tc-99m DTPA is used for renal studies and blood-brain barrier integrity scans. DaTSCAN images dopamine transporters, not perfusion.
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Ictal SPECT: Hyperperfusion at the Seizure Focus
Dementia with Lewy Bodies on DaTscan
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