Radionuclide brain scans in hospitalized psychiatric patients

Radionuclide brain scans were obtained routinely on 100 consecutive patients admitted to the inpatient psychiatric service. Ninety-nine of these scans were unequivocally normal. One showed unilateral decreased flow in the carotid distribution, but this was not confirmed arteriographically nor did this result in any change in therapy. The authors conclude that there is no justification for the use of the radionuclide brain scan as a screening procedure for patients presenting with psychiatric symptoms.