[Perfusion SPECT with (99m)Tc-HMPAO in type I diabetics with no background of central neurologic symptoms. A study of activation with acetazolamide].

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess if activation with acetazolamide increases the diagnostic capacity of baseline SPECT with (99m)Tc-HMPAO in the study of brain perfusion in type I diabetic patients with no history of neurological symptoms.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A baseline SPECT was carried out in 11 diabetes mellitus type I patients with no neurological symptoms with 555 MBq of (99m)Tc-HMPAO; 1 g of acetazolamide was administered during the examination and a second SPECT was obtained 20' later with the same methodology used in the baseline SPECT. The images were visually analyzed. The post-acetazolamide studies were analyzed with (CBS) and without (WBS) baseline image subtraction and both methods were compared.

RESULTS

The baseline SPECT showed 48 hypoperfused cortical areas. The post-acetazolamide SPECT analyzed without baseline image subtraction detected 14 new hypoperfused areas and those analyzed with it detected 26 areas. 69% of the baseline hypoperfused areas were hyporeactive in the WBS analysis and 54% in the CBS analysis.

CONCLUSION

The perfusion SPECT with acetazolamide improves the diagnostic capacity of the baseline perfusion (99m)Tc-HMPAO SPECT, and makes it possible to classify the abnormalities as metabolic or vascular, with a preference for the post-acetazolamide CBS imaging analysis.