In animal experiments, the radionuclide 55Co2+ has been shown to accumulate in degenerating cerebral tissue similar to Ca2+.
Methods: The potential role of 55Co2+ for in vivo brain PET imaging was investigated in four patients after ischemic stroke.
Results: PET showed uptake of 55Co2+ in damaged brain tissue irrespective of blood-brain barrier integrity, as affirmed by CT and MRI.
Conclusion: Our preliminary results indicate that 55CoCl2 may prove to be a useful and relatively inexpensive PET radiopharmaceutical for visualization of degenerative processes in brain tissue.