Influence of Ischemic Lesions on $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO SPECT Findings in the Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease

$^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO SPECT를 이용한 알쯔하이머병의 진단에서 허혈성 뇌병변이 미치는 영향

Brain perfusion SPECT shows typical regional perfusion abnormalities in Alzheimer's disease(AD) and is useful for its diagnosis. However, there is also arguement that these patterns show significant overlap with other causes, and the accuracy for SPECT in differentiating AD has shown conflicting results. We postulate that the variation in re-ported results are partly due to a difference in patient or control selection with special reference to the mixture of ischemic cerebral disease in the studied population. To deter-mine the effect of ischemic lesions and the nature of control subjects on SPECT studies for AD, we performed $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in 11 probable AD patients with a low (<4) Hachinski ischemic score and 12 non-demented age matched controls. Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) disclosed ischemic cerebral lesions in 27% (3/11) of the PAD group and 25% (3/12) of the control group. Regional perfusion indices were quantitated from the SPECT images as follows and the distribution of perfusion indices from both groups were compared. This was repeated with controls after excluding those with significant ischemic lesions by MRI : regional perfusion index = average regional count/average cerebellar count All PAD patients showed perfusion abnormality in SPECT. However, 53% (10/12) of controls also showed perfusion at-normalities, and no pattern could reliably differentiate the two groups. After excluding controls with significant cerebral ischemia, the difference in temporal and parietal perfusion index was increased. A decreased tempore-parietal and any parietal or temporal per-fusion index had a sensitivity of 18% and 36% in detecting AD, respectively. When using a separate group of normal age mathced controls, the indices showed an even more difference in the temporal and parietal lobes and the sensitivity of a decreased tempore-parietal and any parietal or temporal perfusion index had a sensitivity of 36% and 55% in detecting AD, respectively. Thus, the type of control with special reference to the pres-once of ischemic cerebral lesions contribute significantly to the accuracy of perfusion SPECT in diagnosing AD. This nay have particular importance in the diagnosis of AD in populations where the prevalance of cerebrovascular disease is high.

본 연구에서는 $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO SPECT를 이용한 AD의 진단에서 허혈성 뇌병변의 유무와 대조군의 선정방법이 진단성적에 미치는 영향을 조사하기 위하여 지역주민을 대상으로 진단된 PAD군 11례와 연령을 맞춘 대조군 12례에서 SPECT를 시행하여 국소 혈류비를 분석하였다. MRI 소견을 조사한 결과 PAD군의 27%(3/11)와 대조군의 25%(3/12)에 유의한 뇌허혈 또는 경색 병변이 관찰되었다. 뇌병변의 유무와 관계없이 두군을 비교한 결과 측두엽이나 두정엽에 평균혈류비의 유의한 차이가 없었으며 두군을 신뢰성있게 감별할 만한 특징적인 혈류양상을 발견하지 못하였다. 그러나 뇌허혈병변이 있는 자를 대조군에서 제외시켰을 때 두군의 측두엽 및 두정엽 혈류비의 차이가 증가하였다. 또 별도로 설정한 건강한 대조군과 비교한 결과 같은 부위의 혈류비에 현저한 차이가 관찰되었다. 이상의 결과로 뇌혈류 SPECT에 의한 AD의 진단성적은 연구대상의 선정에 의해 영향을 받으며 특히 허혈성 뇌병변의 유무는 연구결과에 많은 영향을 미친다고 생각되었다. 향후 허혈성 뇌병변에 의한 영향을 해결하기 위해 SPECT 영상을 방사선학적 검사와 함께 평가하는 방법에 대한 연구가 필요하다고 사료되었다.