MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical data and scintigraphy findings of patients referred to the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hospital Kuala Lumpur for Tc-99m TRODAT-1 SPECT-CT from July 2022 to July 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. Follow-up with primary team was conducted to determine the clinical implications and subsequent therapeutic management of the patients.
RESULTS: Tc-99m TRODAT-1 SPECT-CT was performed on sixteen patients (10 females and 6 males) with a mean age of 55.2 years (range 26 to 75 years). Five patients exhibited normal scintigraphy findings, while eleven patients showed abnormal Tc-99m TRODAT-1 SPECT-CT results. The scintigraphy findings led to changes in therapeutic management for 81.3% of the patients. Additionally, 19% of the patients were referred for further evaluation with Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET to assist in diagnosing atypical Parkinsonian disease.
CONCLUSIONS: Tc-99m TRODAT-1 SPECT-CT is a readily available tool for assessing presynaptic dopamine transporters in patients with parkinsonism. This study demonstrated that Tc-99m TRODAT-1 SPECT-CT significantly impacts the diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes for patients with parkinsonism.