%0 Journal Article
%@ 1506-9680
%A  Pávics László
%A  Grunwald Frank
%A  Reichmann Karl
%A  Séra Teréz Emese
%A  Ambrus Edit
%A  Horn Rolf
%A  Hartmann Alexander
%A  Menzel Christian
%A  Csernay László
%A  Biersack Hans J.
%A Nukleáris Medicina Intézet SZTE / SZAOK NMI [2000-],
%D 1998
%F publicatio:31571
%J NUCLEAR MEDICINE REVIEW: CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
%N 1
%P 13-19
%T rCBF SPECT and the acetazolamide test in the evaluation of dementia
%U http://publicatio.bibl.u-szeged.hu/31571/
%V 1
%X BACKGROUND: The diagnostic potential of 99mTc-HMPAO following systemic administration of the cerebral vasodilator acetazolamide (acetazolamide test) was evaluated using regional-cerebral-blood-flow (rCBF) SPECT in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) or with vascular-type of dementia (VD). METHODS: An initial, high-resolution SPELT study was performed with 99mTc-HMPAO, and after 2 days patients were re-evaluated with 99mTc-HMPAO following systemic administration of acetazolamide. Reconstructed SPELT slices were evaluated visually and semiquantitatively by a semiautomatic rCBF map method. RESULTS: Using 99mTc-HMPAO alone, a bilateral hypoperfusion was found in the temporal and/or parietal regions in 33% (6/18) of VD patients and in 70% (23/33) of AD patients. The vascular reserve capacity, as determined with the acetazolamide test, was not impaired in 22% of the VD patients but in 76% of the AD patients. The differences in the perfusion patterns between VD and AD patients were statistically different (p < 0.01, Fischer's exact test). Of the 6 VD patients with hypoperfusion (bilateral temporal and/or parietal), 4 had a decreased vascular reserve capacity as determined in the acetazolamide test. Decreased reserve capacity was found in only 4 out of 25 patients with AD. CONCLUSIONS: The acetazolamide test is helpful in rCBF SPECT to differentiate VD from AD.