Atlas of Brain Perfusion SPECT

Normal SPECT Findings



What is "NORMAL"

A clear and unequivocal knowledge of what represents normal brain perfusion is a prerequisite to objective interpretation of scans. The extent of anatomic variability must be recognized and accounted for. Normal perfusion and the acceptable limits of variability in each region must be recognized.

Patients without central nervous system disease and with normal X-Ray/ CT examination demonstrate bilaterally symmetrical activity on the SPECT perfusion images. Activity is greatest along the convexity of the frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes -corresponding anatomically to cortical gray matter. Activity is also high in the regions corresponding to the basal ganglia and thalamus. Regions between the basal ganglia and the convexity corresponding anatomically to cortical white matter and the ventricles have less activity.

Sample Tc-99m HMPAO brain SPECT studies of:

How color scales create a difference:

A 3X3 image of normal transaxial, coronal and sagittal slices at mid-thalamic plane in three different color scales.

Tc-99m pertechnetate labelled RBC blood pool imaging:

Comments and errors to Chandak@dsg.harvard.edu Information on images through Basem@bwh.harvard.edu.
Last updated: Oct 13, 1995.