POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY IN SPASTIC DIPLEGIA

In this study. three patients with spastic diplegia were examined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PE T), using the steady state technique with O-15. Two of them had untrac table seizures and mental retardation. On MRI the cortical structures were normal: increased T-2 signals in the periventricular white matter in the second patient were the main findings. PET scan showed in the two patients with a seizure disorder and mental retardation a large le ft cortical area of decreased regional blood flow and oxygen consumpti on during the interictal phase. The third patient without epileptic sp ells had a normal PET scan examination. It is concluded that the epile ptic disorder in two of our cases is due to an additional cortical les ion, while the spastic diplegia is caused by subcortical white matter destruction.