EJNMMI Research (Oct 2022)

Comparison of [18F]-FDOPA PET and [123I]-FP-CIT SPECT acquired in clinical practice for assessing nigrostriatal degeneration in patients with a clinically uncertain parkinsonian syndrome

  • Elon Wallert,
  • Erwann Letort,
  • Friso van der Zant,
  • Ania Winogrodzka,
  • Henk Berendse,
  • Martijn Beudel,
  • Rob de Bie,
  • Jan Booij,
  • Pieter Raijmakers,
  • Elsmarieke van de Giessen

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13550-022-00943-6
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 6

Abstract

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Abstract Purpose Two commonly used imaging techniques to aid in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative parkinsonian syndromes are dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging with [123I]-FP-CIT single-photon emission computed tomography (DAT-SPECT) and positron emission tomography with [18F]-FDOPA (FDOPA-PET). This paper provides a unique series of parkinsonian patients who received both FDOPA-PET and DAT-SPECT in routine clinical practice and compares the reported results to assess potential differences between these two imaging techniques. Methods We present 11 patients with a clinically uncertain parkinsonian syndrome (CUPS), who received both FDOPA-PET and DAT-SPECT. All patients received an FDOPA-PET scan and DAT-SPECT as part of routine clinical care. Results The median time between the F-DOPA-PET scan and DAT-SPECT scan was 6 months (range 0–15 months). There was a discrepancy in the reported results of the FDOPA-PET and DAT-SPECT scans in nine patients, including 7 patients whose FDOPA-PET scan was reportedly normal, whereas their DAT-SPECT scan was abnormal. Conclusions In this case series of CUPS patients, DAT-SPECT was more often rated as abnormal than FDOPA-PET. The striatal loss of FDOPA uptake can be less pronounced than that of DAT binding in CUPS patients in early disease stages. Consequently, the interpretation of FDOPA-PET scans in CUPS can sometimes be challenging in routine practice.

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