Positron-emission-tomography (PET) and single-photon-emission-tomography (SPECT) in the assessment of the so called >> Multiple Chemical Sensitivity <<

Functional imaging with SPECT and PET is increasingly used to prove evidenc e for the existence of a syndrome "Multiple Chemical Sensitivity" (MCS) and plays a major role in legal trials to justify compensation for the exposur e to solvents. This paper critically reviews the literature on the use of S PECT and PET for the determination of MCS. The authors come to the conclusi on that the current data are not sufficient to justify the claim of the exi stence of such a syndrome. The low specificity of the observed PET and espe cially SPECT-findings makes it very difficult to establish a cause-result r elationship and therefore makes the use of these methods in legal trials on this issue doubtful.