CEREBRAL HYPOPERFUSION DETECTED BY SPET IN EARLY NEURO-BEHCET-SYNDROME

We used brain single-photon emission tomography (SPET) to detect hypop erfused areas in 15 consecutive Behcet syndrome patients. Five were su spected of having neuro-Behcet's syndrome, having at least one neurolo gical symptom. For these patients, SPET was performed within 1 month o f the onset of nervous system involvement. The 15 patients fulfilled t he criteria of the International Study Group for Behcet syndrome. Neur ological assessment and SPET were complemented by EEG in all five pati ents with suspected neuro-Behcet syndrome and by magnetic resonance im aging in three. Brain SPET detected hypoperfused regions in all five n eurological patients; EEG showed abnormalities in three. Magnetic reso nance imaging was normal in the three patients in whom it was performe d. SPET was negative in all patients without neurological involvement and 20 healthy controls. SPET detected a reduction in brain blood flow in early neuro-Behcet syndrome, but there was no definitive correlati on between the hypoperfused brain regions and the clinical features. F urther studies are required to evaluate the significance of brain hypo perfusion and the value of SPET in the early diagnosis of neuro-Behcet syndrome. ((C) 1998 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins).