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Semi-quantitative Assessment Using [18F]FDG Tracer in Patients with Severe Brain Injury
Published on: November 9, 2018
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 positron emission tomography in a case of slowly progressive pure alexia
Jonathan Graff-Radford1, Eduardo E Benarroch, Joseph R Duffy
1a Department of Neurology , Mayo Clinic , Rochester , MN , USA.
Abstract:
We describe a 71-year-old patient with slowly progressive pure alexia in which analysis of her fluorodeoxyglucose FDG-PET scan revealed an area of focal hypometabolism in the visual word form area. She presented with difficulty reading. Examination revealed pure alexia with preservation of other cognitive domains. Brain MRI revealed only slight atrophy. A Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 positron emission tomography scan revealed hypometabolism in the occipital cortex bilaterally, left greater than right, with normal metabolism elsewhere in the brain. This case highlights the utility of FDG-PET scan in evaluating focal neurodegenerative conditions before clear atrophy can be seen on MRI.
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