Open Access18F-FDG PET/CT findings in a possible MELAS syndrome: A case study
Author(s) -
Alireza Emami-Ardekani,
Alireza Emami-Ardekani,
Sara Harsini,
Armaghan Fard-Esfahani,
Farzaneh Baseri,
Mohammad Eftekhari
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
iranian journal of nuclear medicine.
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.128
H-Index - 10
eISSN - 2008-2509
pISSN - 1681-2824
DOI - 10.18502/irjnm.v27i1.976
Subject(s) - medicine , mitochondrial myopathy , lactic acidosis , melas syndrome , encephalopathy , headaches , hemiparesis , asymptomatic , stroke (engine) , leukoencephalopathy , mitochondrial encephalomyopathy , radiology , magnetic resonance imaging , pathology , surgery , mechanical engineering , mutation , biochemistry , chemistry , engineering , mitochondrial dna , gene , angiography
Mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) syndrome is a rare congenital disorder of mitochondrial DNA, presenting a wide range of clinical symptoms comprising headaches, seizures, aphasia, hearing loss, visual defects, and hemiparesis. Herein we report a case of a previously asymptomatic 40-year-old male who presented with recurrent headache, seizures, Wernicke’s aphasia, and impaired visual acuity. Investigations included CT, MRI, MR venography, MR spectroscopy, and PET/CT with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG-PET) of the brain. PET imaging showed diffuse increased 18F-FDG uptake in the right hemisphere and left temporal lobe; additionally, decreased 18F-FDG uptake was observed in the left frontoparietal lobe. The patient underwent treatment by levetiracetam, co-enzyme Q10, riboflavin, L-carnitine, and lacosamide, followed by improvement of his clinical signs and symptoms indicative of partial response to the therapy. Key