Tc-ECD SPECT Image in Children with Gilles de la Tourette’s Syndrome: A Preliminary Report

Received 4/10/2001; revised 4/25/2001; accepted 5/4/2001. For correspondence or reprints contact: Chia-Hung Kao, M.D., Department of Nuclear Medicine, China Medical College Hospital, 2, Yuh-Der Road, Taichung 404, Taiwan. Tel: (886)4-22052121 ext. 1424/4002, Fax: (886)4-22023442 E-mail: [email protected] Background: Gilles de la Tourette’s syndrome (GTS) is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder. Functional neuroimaging technique such as Tc-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (HMPAO) brain SPECT has been used widely to evaluate the patients with GTS; however, the feasibility of Tc-ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD) brain SPECT in evaluation of patients with GTS has not been reported, especially in children. The aim of this preliminary study was to evaluate the potential usefulness of Tc-ECD brain SPECT in detecting brain perfusion abnormalities in children with GTS. Methods: A group of 7 normal control subjects and 17 unmedicated GTS children (15 boys and 2 girls ranging in age from 4 to 11 years) underwent a brain SPECT study with Tc-ECD. Those with a known underlying history of brain trauma, epilepsy or encephalitis/meningitis were excluded. Results: 16 of 17 (94.1%) of the GTS children had lesions characterized by decreased brain perfusion on Tc-ECD brain SPECT scan. The left hemisphere was more frequently involved and major perfusion abnormalities were found in the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe and basal ganglia. In contrast, all 7 normal controls (100.0%) had negative results of Tc-ECD brain SPECT scan. Conclusion: Our preliminary study showed that TcECD brain SPECT scan may provide a useful functional neuroimaging technique in the evaluation of children with GTS.