[Diagnostic accuracy of FP-CIT SPECT in the evaluation of patients with clinically uncertain parkinsonian syndrome]. / Validez diagnóstica de la SPECT con FP-CIT en la evaluación de pacientes con síndrome parkinsoniano clínicamente incierto.

OBJECTIVE: To determine diagnostic accuracy of FP-CIT SPECT in a subgroup of patients who clinically present nonconclusive or atypical characteristics of parkinsonism (Clinically Uncertain Parkinsonian Syndromes, CUPS), and assess the contribution of the quantitative analysis in this group of patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We included 54 patients who make up the CUPS group. After a variable follow-up period, we evaluated the existence of a degenerative parkinsonism and compared it with the result of the FP-CIT SPECT, establishing the diagnostic accuracy of this procedure in the CUPS patient group. RESULTS: We obtained a high diagnostic accuracy of neurodegenerative Parkinsonism in the CUPS patient group (sensitivity: 85%; specificity: 93%). False positive results were obtained in patients with vascular parkinsonism and most of the false negative results in patients with Parkinson's disease. The quantitative evaluation did not contribute data of relevance to the qualitative evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: FP-CIT SPECT makes it possible to show the involvement of nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway, also contributing with information of relevance to the clinician about the etiology of the extrapyramidal symptomatology in patients with nonconclusive signs and symptoms of the existence of a Parkinsonism.

Validez diagnóstica de la SPECT con FP-CIT en la evaluación de pacientes con síndrome parkinsoniano clínicamente incierto / Diagnostic accuracy of FP-CIT SPECT in the evaluation of patients with clinically uncertain parkinsonian syndrome

Objetivo. Establecer la validez diagnóstica de la SPECT con FP-CIT en un subgrupo de pacientes que presentan clínicamente rasgos no concluyentes o atípicos de parkinsonismo (síndrome parkinsoniano clínicamente incierto [SPCI]), valorando la aportación del análisis cuantitativo en este grupo de pacientes. Pacientes y métodos. Se incluye a 54 pacientes que conforman el grupo con SPCI. Tras un período de seguimiento se establece desde el punto de vista clínico la existencia o no de parkinsonismo degenerativo y se confronta con el resultado de la SPECT con FP-CIT, estableciendo la validez diagnóstica de dicho procedimiento en el grupo de pacientes con SPCI. Resultados. Se obtuvo una elevada validez diagnóstica en el diagnóstico de un parkinsonismo de origen neurodegenerativo en pacientes con SPCI (sensibilidad: 85 %, y especificidad, 93 %). Los resultados falsos positivos se obtuvieron a partir de pacientes con Parkinson vascular (PV) y la mayoría de falsos negativos a partir de sujetos con enfermedad de Parkinson (EP). La valoración cuantitativa no aportó datos de relevancia a la valoración visual. Conclusiones. El estudio tomográfico con FP-CIT permite poner de manifiesto con elevada seguridad diagnóstica la afectación de la vía dopaminérgica nigroestriada, aportando, asimismo, información de relevancia al clínico acerca de la etiología de la sintomatología extrapiramidal en pacientes con síntomas y signos no concluyentes de la existencia de un parkinsonismo

Objective. To determine diagnostic accuracy of FP-CIT SPECT in a subgroup of patients who clinically present nonconclusive or atypical characteristics of parkinsonism (Clinically Uncertain Parkinsonian Syndromes, CUPS), and assess the contribution of the quantitative analysis in this group of patients. Patients and methods. We included 54 patients who make up the CUPS group. After a variable follow-up period, we evaluated the existence of a degenerative parkinsonism and compared it with the result of the FP-CIT SPECT, establishing the diagnostic accuracy of this procedure in the CUPS patient group. Results. We obtained a high diagnostic accuracy of neurodegenerative Parkinsonism in the CUPS patient group (sensitivity: 85 %; specificity: 93 %). False positive results were obtained in patients with vascular parkinsonism and most of the false negative results in patients with Parkinson's disease. The quantitative evaluation did not contribute data of relevance to the qualitative evaluation. Conclusions. FP-CIT SPECT makes it possible to show the involvement of nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway, also contributing with information of relevance to the clinician about the etiology of the extrapyramidal symptomatology in patients with nonconclusive signs and symptoms of the existence of a Parkinsonism