Skip to main content
Log in

Ictal technetium-99m ethyl cysteinate dimer single-photon emission tomographic findings and propagation of epileptic seizure activity in patients with extratemporal epilepsies

  • Original article
  • Published:
European Journal of Nuclear Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract.

Although ictal single-photon emission tomography (SPET) with technetium-99m ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD) has a well-established role in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy who are being considered for epilepsy surgery, its use in cases of extratemporal epilepsy is still limited. We investigated the influence of the propagation of extratemporal epileptic seizure activity on the regional increase in cerebral blood flow, which is usually associated with epileptic seizure activity. Forty-two consecutive patients with extratemporal epilepsies were prospectively evaluated. All patients underwent ictal SPET studies with simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) and video recordings of habitual seizures and imaging studies including cranial magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography with 2-[18F]-fluoro-2 deoxy-d-glucose. Propagation of epilptic seizure activity (PESA) was defined as the absence of hyperperfusion on ictal ECD SPET in the lobe of seizure onset, but its presence in another ipsilateral or contralateral lobe. Observers analysing the SPET images were not informed of the other results. PESA was observed in 8 of the 42 patients (19%) and was ipsilateral to the seizure onset in five (63%) of these eight patients. The time between clinical seizure onset and injection of the ECD tracer ranged from 14 to 61 s (mean 34 s). Seven patients (88%) with PESA had parieto-occipital epilepsy and one patient had a frontal epilepsy. PESA was statistically more frequent in patients with parieto-occipital lobe epilepsies (58%) than in the remaining extratemporal epilepsy syndromes (3%) (P<0.0002). These findings indicate that ictal SPET studies require simultaneous EEG-video recordings in patients with extratemporal epilepsies. PESA should be considered when interpreting ictal SPET studies in these patients. Patients with PESA are more likely to have parieto-occipital lobe epilepsy than seizure onset in other extratemporal regions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Received 14 August and in revised form 31 October 1997

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Noachtar, S., Arnold, S., Yousry, T. et al. Ictal technetium-99m ethyl cysteinate dimer single-photon emission tomographic findings and propagation of epileptic seizure activity in patients with extratemporal epilepsies. Eur J Nucl Med 25, 166–172 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002590050210

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002590050210

Navigation