PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Frederick J. Bonte AU - Thomas S. Harris AU - Celeste A. Roney AU - Linda S. Hynan TI - Differential Diagnosis Between Alzheimer’s and Frontotemporal Disease by the Posterior Cingulate Sign DP - 2004 May 01 TA - Journal of Nuclear Medicine PG - 771--774 VI - 45 IP - 5 4099 - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/45/5/771.short 4100 - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/45/5/771.full SO - J Nucl Med2004 May 01; 45 AB - This was a study to evaluate the posterior cingulate sign in differential diagnosis between Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal disease. The impending availability of effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease makes this differential diagnosis important. Methods: Images of 20 patients with clinically confirmed or autopsy-proven (10 patients) Alzheimer’s disease and 20 patients with clinically confirmed or autopsy-proven (7 patients) frontotemporal disease were compared with the consolidated images of 20 elderly healthy control subjects. The 99mTc-hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime SPECT data on brain blood flow from each patient were compared with the consolidated control image using statistical parametric mapping. Results: Sixteen of 20 patients with Alzheimer’s disease showed the posterior cingulate sign in the form of significant blood flow reductions; 1 of 20 patients with frontotemporal disease showed the posterior cingulate sign. That patient’s illness has evolved into Alzheimer’s disease. The remaining 19 patients were negative for the posterior cingulate sign. Conclusion: When present, the posterior cingulate sign indicates the presence of Alzheimer’s disease; it is apparently absent in frontotemporal disease, thus serving as a differential diagnostic sign. It was absent in 3 patients with proven tangle-predominant Alzheimer’s disease.