Single photon emission CT perfusion imaging of cerebral blood flow of early syphilis patients.

OBJECTIVE

To injvestigate the cerebral blood flow of patients with early syphilis.

METHODS

(99)Tc(m)-ECD as brain perfusion imaging agent was used in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for 32 patients with early syphilis and 15 controls. Visual analyses were made on every BSPECT image.

RESULTS

The 32 patients with early syphilis had general, patchy hypoperfusion of cerebral blood flow. Fourteen of the 32 patients had 48 episodes of marked patchy hypoperfusion of rCBF. The responsible areas of hypoperfusion in a patchy distribution involved the left frontal lobe (6 episodes), right frontal lobe (3), left parietal lobe (7), right parietal lobe (6), left temporal lobe (11), right temporal lobe (5), left occipital lobe (3), left basal ganglia (3), cerebellum (1), and nerve nuceus (1). No abnormality was found in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

Cerebral blood flow abnormalities exist in patients with early syphilis. General patchy hypoperfusion on SPECT imaging is common.