Abnormalities in Regional Cerebral Blood Flow Due to Headache in a COVID-19 Infected Patient Observed on 99mTC-ECD Brain SPECT/CT

Abstract

A 31-year-old man was diagnosed with a COVID-19 infection, presenting with a diffuse headache and an uneven sensation of fullness, despite having no prior systemic diseases. 99mTc-ECD Brain SPECT/CT revealed a marked decrease in blood perfusion in the cerebral cortices, predominantly in the frontal region and involving the olfactory sulcus. In contrast, there was increased perfusion in the occipital lobe and asymmetrical perfusion in the cerebellum. This case highlights changes in regional blood flow perfusion that might affect the functional connectivity of the pain matrix, leading to the onset of headaches and associated underlying mechanisms.

Keywords

• 99mTc-ECD brain SPECT/CT
• COVID-19 infection
• headache
• pain-matrix
• regional cerebral blood flow