REGIONAL CEREBRAL BLOOD-FLOW IN DIAGNOSIS OF CHILDHOOD-ONSET PARTIAL EPILEPSY

We compared regional cerebral blood flow assessed by [I-123]N-isopropy l-p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) wi th magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and inte rictal surface electroencephalography (EEG) to evaluate its diagnostic potential in 24 patients with partial seizures with onset in childhoo d. Focal low uptake areas were observed on SPECT scans of 18 patients and were presumed to represent epileptogenic areas in 17. MRI revealed an abnormality in 12 and CT in 6 patients, and all organic lesions sh owed SPECT abnormalities, too. Six patients without focal structural a bnormalities showed regional perfusion deficit on SPECT. Routine scalp EEG revealed an epileptic focus in 17 patients and three of them show ed discordant results between SPECT and EEG, which suggested more seri ous brain disorders. In two patients without EEG localization only SPE CT showed focal abnormalities in the probable epileptic area. [I-123]I MP-SPECT was useful in locating the epileptic focus, particularly duri ng the early period after the onset of partial seizures when the EEG g ave inconclusive results.