A Real-World Study of Cerebral 99mTc-TRODAT-1 Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) Imaging of the Dopamine Transporter in Patients with Parkinson Disease from a Tertiary Hospital in Brazil

Med Sci Monit. 2020 Dec 23:26:e925130. doi: 10.12659/MSM.925130.

Abstract

BACKGROUND Studies on the routine clinical use of dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging have largely been conducted in Europe and the United States. In this real-world study, we investigated the use of cerebral 99mTc-TRODAT-1 SPECT imaging of DAT in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) at a tertiary hospital in Brazil. MATERIAL AND METHODS We included 119 patients with suspected PD or clinically unclear parkinsonism who underwent brain scintigraphy with 99mTc-TRODAT-1 during a 3-year period. Additionally, a brief interview was conducted with the physician who requested the scan to determine the usefulness of the method in clinical decision-making. RESULTS Regarding the scan requests, most were intended to evaluate or confirm dopaminergic denervation (69%), distinguish PD from essential tremor (10%), or distinguish degenerative parkinsonism from drug-induced parkinsonism (6%). Data analysis showed that scintigraphy with 99mTc-TRODAT-1 was useful in 85% of cases, changing the management of 75% of the patients who underwent a scan. The majority of physicians who requested the scan were neurologists, and 54% were self-reported movement disorder specialists. An inappropriate use of DAT imaging was seen in 5% of cases. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that brain scintigraphy with the DAT ligand 99mTc-TRODAT-1 may influence diagnostic or therapeutic interventions, meaning that Brazilian physicians who requested the exam have taken in vivo DAT results into account at the time of clinical decision-making.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging*
  • Brain / pathology
  • Brazil
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Organotechnetium Compounds / chemistry*
  • Parkinson Disease / diagnostic imaging*
  • Radionuclide Imaging
  • Tertiary Care Centers*
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*
  • Tropanes / chemistry*

Substances

  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Organotechnetium Compounds
  • Tropanes
  • technetium Tc 99m TRODAT-1