Developing an effective program to complete ictal SPECT in the epilepsy monitoring unit

Epilepsy Res. 1999 Feb;33(2-3):189-97. doi: 10.1016/s0920-1211(98)00097-7.

Abstract

With the availability of more stable radiopharmaceuticals, the ictal single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) perfusion study has emerged as a useful noninvasive functional neuroimaging tool in the presurgical evaluation of patients with medically intractable partial epilepsy. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the development of a program using trained electroencephalography (EEG) technologists to perform ictal injections in the epilepsy monitoring unit enabled a more efficient delivery of radiopharmaceuticals and therefore a higher specificity and sensitivity of outcome. All patients admitted to the epilepsy monitoring unit for prolonged video/EEG monitoring as part of the presurgical evaluation were eligible for completion of an ictal SPECT study using a three-way needle-free apparatus. Over a 19-month period, 85 (77%)) of 110 eligible patients were successfully injected during typical partial seizures. Various factors were analyzed including latency of ictal injection (27.3+/-20.8 [S.D.] s), radiopharmaceutical wastage (40% dose utilization), radiation safety parameters (1.6% contamination rate), and preliminary data of localizing value. Our results show that ictal SPECT can be a safe, noninvasive procedure completed on a routine basis in the epilepsy monitoring unit when appropriately trained support staff are utilized as part of a structured multidisciplinary program.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging*
  • Brain / physiopathology*
  • Child
  • Electroencephalography
  • Epilepsies, Partial / diagnostic imaging*
  • Epilepsies, Partial / physiopathology*
  • Humans
  • Injections
  • Monitoring, Physiologic*
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / administration & dosage*
  • Safety
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Television
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

Substances

  • Radiopharmaceuticals