Technetium-99m HMPAO imaging in patients with basal ganglia disease

Technetium 99m hexamethylpropylene-amine oxime (HMPAO) is trapped by cerebral grey matter and the basal ganglia on its first pass through the brain. To assess its potential for studying patients with diseases of the basal ganglia, a study of 15 normal volunteers and 32 patients with known or suspected basal ganglia disease have been investigated. Sixteen patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease showed no abnormality of the basal ganglia and varying degrees of cerebral underperfusion consistent with their intellectual status. Eight patients with Huntington's chorea showed a characteristic pattern of reduced or absent caudate nucleus uptake. Patients with diseases affecting the basal ganglia, such as Fahr's disease, Wilson's disease and hemibalismus had varying degrees of basal ganglia underperfusion as demonstrated by an HMPAO scan. We believe that this new radiopharmaceutical for the demonstration of cerebral blood flow shows significant potential for the diagnosis and management of patients with basal ganglia disease.