[Brain perfusion SPECT imaging before and during the acetazolamide test using 99mTc-HMPAO].

A new method using brain perfusion 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT imaging was developed for evaluating cerebral perfusion reserve by the acetazolamide test with a short period. The first SPECT study was carried out for 13.5 min to obtain SPECT images at the resting state after 3 min postinjection of 555 MBq (15 mCi) of 99mTc-HMPAO. At the same time as the start of the first SPECT study, 1 g of acetazolamide was intravenously injected. Immediately after the stop of the 1st SPECT study, 925 MBq (25 mCi) of 99mTc-HMPAO from the same vial as in the first study was additionally injected. Three minutes later the second SPECT study was carried out for 10 min. After reconstruction the tomographic images in the first study were subtracted from the images in the second study to obtain those during the acetazolamide test after correction of the time differences in data acquisition between the two studies. This subtraction technique gives independent brain perfusion SPECT images before and during the acetazolamide test. Besides, the regional flow changes during the test were quantitatively analyzed. In conclusion this method seems to be practically useful for evaluating regional brain perfusion before and during drug treatments as a consecutive study with a short period of approximately 30 min.