SPECT - Effects of Steroid Therapy

5/05/01 (Agahtehrani)

Question: What effects does steroid therapy have on  SPECT imaging?

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Unique Identifier: 93321894 / PubMed Identifier: 8330761

Authors: Borggreve F. Dierckx RA. Crols R. Mathijs R. Appel B. Vandevivere J. Marien P. Martin JJ. De Deyn PP.

Institution: Department of Neurology, Middelheim General Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium.

Abstract: The authors report on the contribution of Thallium-201 brain SPECT in the diagnosis and follow-up of a non-immunosuppressed patient, presenting with primary cerebral lymphoma. The tumoral process was at first not diagnosed on CT-scan, but Thallium-201 SPECT suggested a tumoral invasion. During corticosteroid treatment the tumor volume on CT-scan decreased, while on Thallium-201 SPECT there was an enhancement of the accumulation and an increasing tumor to non-tumor ratio. These scintigraphical findings more closely reflected the clinical course and the postmortem results.