High Extracerebral Soft Tissue Activity on Tc-ECD Brain SPECT Secondary to Radiopharmaceutical Fault

Received 9/4/2000; revised 9/29/2000; accepted 10/31/2000. For correspondence or reprints contact: Wei-Jen Shih, M.D., Nuclear Medicine Service, Lexington VA Medical Center, Lexington, KY40511, U.S.A. Tel: (859)-3815928, Fax: (859)-3815934 E-mail: [email protected] Interpretation of a brain SPECT using Tc labeled cerebral perfusion imaging agent such as Tc-ECD requires high uptake of the tracer in the brain. Extracerebral soft tissue activity higher than that of cerebral activity is infrequently observed. We report two patients with extracerebral soft tissue activity when they were administered Tc-ECD prepared from the same kit vial. This was apparent radiopharmaceutical fault with low radiochemical purity of Tc-ECD.