[Use of 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT in the study of AIDS-correlated dementia].

AIDS dementia complex is a well-defined neurological manifestation of the HIV infection. Its anatomo-pathological pattern is cerebral atrophy, grey and white matter abnormalities and vascular changes, and the main symptom is progressive dementia. SPECT with Tc 99m HMPAO has proved to be an useful tool in studying Alzheimer and multi-infarct dementia, and its use has been recently proposed in AIDS-dementia. We studied with Tc 99m HMPAO 57 Pts (11 HIV+, 26 ARC, 17 AIDS) and control group of 7 drug-addicted seronegative Pts. We found positive results in 45% SPECT, 18% CT, 0% neurological tests of dementia in HIV+ phase, versus 52%, 41, 20% in ARC phase and 94%, 88% and 76% in AIDS phase, while all control Pts were negative. Control group is too small to exclude with all possibility of doubt cerebral blood flow impairment caused by drug damage but nevertheless we think that SPECT examination with 99 mTc HMPAO has an important role in assessing CBF changes in earlier stages of AIDS disease. These changes are probably forerunners of definitive cerebral damage and may be important markers of the advancement of disease.