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lnterictal Single‐Photon Emission Computed Tomography in Partial Epilepsy
Author(s) -
Tatum William O.,
Sperling Michael R.,
Connor Michael J. O,
Jacobstein Jerome G.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of neuroimaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1552-6569
pISSN - 1051-2284
DOI - 10.1111/jon199553142
Subject(s) - ictal , medicine , epilepsy , single photon emission computed tomography , perfusion , temporal lobe , emission computed tomography , nuclear medicine , complex partial seizures , radiology , psychiatry
The role of interictal brain single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was examined using ( 99m Tc)‐labeled hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) in refractory partial epilepsy. The accuracy with which SPECT localized an epileptic focus and whether it predicted long‐term postoperative seizure relief were assessed. Twenty patients were evaluated, 14 of whom ultimately had anterior temporal lobectomy with followup rangmg from 41 to 56 months. A single‐headed gamma camera was used. The interictal SPECT showed ipsilateral temporal hypoperfusion in 8 (47%) of 17 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and showed either multilobar hypoperfusion or no perfusion defects in the rest. The sensitivity and specificity were similar in patients with a more complex clinical picture who required intracranial electrodes and those who did not. Presence or absence of temporal lobe hypoperfusion did not correlate with postoperative seizure relief. It is concluded that interictal SPECT with 99m TcHMPAO with a single‐headed gamma camera does not add useful information in preoperative localization or predicting postoperative seizure relief.