Clinical study of radioisotope clearance from the cerebrospinal fluid space using single photon emission computed tomography.

Radioisotope cisternography with statistical analysis was evaluated in 18 patients with suspected hydrocephalus shown by conventional CT, and 4 control patients. Regions of interest were located at cisterna magna, basal cistern, lateral cistern Sylvii, interhemispheric cistern, and lateral ventricle using three dimensional SPECT images. A value for the constant K was determined for each exponential radioactivity decay curve. On the basis of SPECT-derived K values our patients were grouped into hydrocephalus, nonhydrocephalus, and control patients. Twelve of 14 hydrocephalus patients were treated by shunt operation. Our less-invasive method showed reliable criteria for assessing the cerebrospinal fluid circulation.