[Value of brain perfusion SPECT in the follow-up of patients surgically treated for chronic adult hydrocephalus syndrome]. / Valor del SPECT de perfusión cerebral en el seguimiento del tratamiento quirúrgico de pacientes con hidrocefalia crónica del adulto.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to characterize regional cerebral blood flow in patients with Adult Hydrocephalus Syndrome (AHS) and to evaluate the changes in brain perfusion after surgical derivation treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 20 patients with AHS (age: 72 +/- 14, 12 men) were studied before and six months after surgery. All patients underwent a brain perfusion SPECT (99mTc-HMPAO) prior to surgery and at 6 months post-surgery. Semi-quantitative analysis was done for brain uptake: 0=Normal, 1=Mild, 2=Moderate, 3= Severe, 4=No uptake. The severity of ventricular dilatation was assessed by classifying the intensity and extension of subcortical defects: 0=Normal, 1=Mild, 2=Moderate, 3=Severe. The scores of the pre- and post-surgical studies were compared using the Student-t test. RESULTS: A global reduction of brain uptake was observed (mean score 12.85), mainly in frontal, parietal and temporal lobes, with a significant improvement in post surgical studies (mean score 6, p<0,001). After surgery, 16 (80%) of the 20 patients improved brain uptake. In relationship to subcortical uptake, 5 patients showed mild defects, 9 moderate defects and 6 patients presented severe uptake reduction. In post-surgical studies 15 (75%) patients improved almost one degree in the subcortical score and 65% of the patients showed a normal or mild subcortical uptake reduction. CONCLUSIONS: Brain perfusion SPECT is useful in patients with AHS, detecting brain perfusion defects and evaluating cerebral blood flow improvement after shunt operation.

Valor del SPECT de perfusión cerebral en el seguimiento del tratamiento quirúrgico de pacientes con hidrocefalia crónica del adulto / Brain perfusion spect in patients with chronic adult hydrocephalus syndrome. Pre- and post-surgical study

Objetivo: Evaluar el estado de la perfusión cerebral en pacientes con hidrocefalia crónica del adulto (HCA) y los cambios producidos en la misma tras la derivación de líquido cefalorraquideo (LCR).Material y métodos: Se han evaluado 20 pacientes diagnosticados de HCA (edad: 72 ñ 14; 12 hombres) tratados quirúrgicamente. A todos los pacientes se les realizó un SPECT de perfusión cerebral (99mTc-HMPAO) pre-operatorio y a los 6 meses de la intervención quirúrgica. Se realizó un análisis semicuantitativo del grado de captación en las diferentes regiones cerebrales: 0 = normal; 1 = leve; 2 = moderado; 3 = severo; 4 = ausencia de captación. La hipoactividad subcortical secundaria a la dilatación ventricular se cuantificó en cuatro grados: 0 = normal; 1 = leve; 2 = moderado; 3 = severo. Se compararon los valores obtenidos en el primer y segundo estudio (t-Student).Resultados: Se observó una reducción global de la captación en prácticamente todos los lóbulos (puntuación media 12,85), predominantemente en los lóbulos frontal, temporal y parietal, que mejoró significativamente de forma global y para cada uno de los territorios analizados en el estudio postoperatorio (puntuación media 6, p < 0,001). De los 20 pacientes estudiados 16 (80 por ciento) mejoraron la captación cortical y 4 no presentaron cambios. Respecto a la hipoactividad subcortical, 5 pacientes presentaron un grado leve, 9 presentaban grado moderado y 6 un grado severo. En el estudio postoperatorio 15 (75 por ciento) pacientes mejoraron al menos un grado de captación y un 65 por ciento pasaron a un grado normal o leve de dilatación. Conclusiones: El SPECT de perfusión cerebral es una técnica que permite valorar las alteraciones de la perfusión ocasionadas por la HCA y objetivar la recuperación que produce la implantación de una derivación de LCR (AU)

[Quantification of myocardial ischemia in regions dependent on occluded coronary arteries in patients without previous infarction]. / Cuantificación de la isquemia miocárdica en regiones dependientes de arterias coronarias ocluidas de pacientes sin infarto previo.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to assess myocardial ischemia in regions with no infarction dependent occluded coronary arteries. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 149 patients with proved coronary artery disease and without previous myocardial infarction were studied by 99mTc-MIBI SPECT (long protocol) and coronary angiography. The extent of the uptake reversibility was quantified in 3 regions (antero-septal, inferior and lateral) of the polar maps, assessing the percentage of each region that had a > 10% difference resulting from the rest uptake minus the stress uptake. The regions dependent on one occluded artery were compared to those dependent on non-occluded arteries. In the regions dependent on one occluded artery a comparison was also made between those which had a good collateral circulation and those which did not. RESULTS: Fifty-four out of 149 patients (36%) had at least one occluded coronary artery (20 anterior descending, 22 right and 27 circumflex coronary arteries). In the visual analysis, reversible defects were observed in all patients with occlusion of the anterior descending and the right coronary artery, but only in half of the occlusions of the circumflex coronary artery. The extent of this reversibility was significantly higher in the regions dependent on occluded arteries and was highly variable, though lower when good collateral circulation was present. CONCLUSIONS: Reversible defects were always observed in the occlusions of the left anterior descending and right coronary arteries, but only in half of those of the circumflex artery. The extent of the ischemia was higher in the regions dependent on one occluded coronary artery, mainly when there was an absence of good collateral circulation.