NEURONAL MIGRATION DISORDERS - POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY CORRELATIONS

We analyzed the interictal [F-18] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron em ission tomography (PET) findings of 17 epileptic patients with neurona l migration disorders (NMDs). Fifteen patients had abnormal PET findin gs, i.e., focal hypometabolism in 9 patients and displaced metabolic a ctivity of normal gray matter in 6. All 15 patients had magnetic reson ance imaging (MRI) abnormalities; however, PET abnormality assisted in the identification of NMDs on MRI in 3 patients. Two patients with ne gative MRI also had negative PET studies. PET hypometabolism appeared to correlate with severity of neuronal dysgenesis or temporal lobe inv olvement, or both. Displaced metabolic activity of gray matter is rega rded as a unique interictal [F-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-PET finding in NMD. This study demonstrates variable metabolic patterns in NMD an d that PET may be a useful complement to MRI in the evaluation of NMD.