Menu
Back to Archived Journals » Research and Reports in Nuclear Medicine » Volume 2
Technetium-99m ethylene cysteine dimer posterior fossa perfusion and brain death
Authors Joseph U, Kothari, Skolkin, Wan D , Gayed I
Received 29 March 2012
Accepted for publication 14 June 2012
Published 17 September 2012 Volume 2012:2 Pages 11—15
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/RRNM.S32386
Review by Single anonymous peer review
Peer reviewer comments 4
Usha A Joseph,1 Kunal Kothari,2 Dayna Skolkin,3 David Q Wan,1 Isis W Gayed1
1Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, TX; 2Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD; 3Bachelor of Nursing Student, University of Texas at Austin, TX, USA
Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency of and outcome in patients with isolated posterior fossa uptake on cerebral perfusion scan.
Methods: A retrospective review was undertaken of electronic medical records over 6 years from 713 consecutive patients undergoing technetium-99m ethyl cysteine dimer cerebral perfusion scans to identify isolated posterior fossa activity.
Results: Of the 13 patients with isolated posterior fossa activity, 10 deteriorated to death and three had life support withdrawn. They survived an average of 0.24 day ± 0.27 standard deviation (SD) days after scanning and an average of 1.03 ± 0.33 SD days on life support.
Conclusion: Unilateral or bilateral isolated posterior fossa technetium-99m ethyl cysteine dimer activity indicates imminent or impending brain death and a poor prognosis.
Keywords: isolated posterior fossa activity, cerebral perfusion scan, brain death, technetium-99m ethyl cysteine dimer
© 2012 The Author(s). This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.
By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.