[A trial of the clinical use of the Testascan computerized gamma tomograph in neurosurgical pathology]

The paper outlines the diagnostic potentialities of the first Russian multidetector Testascan gamma-tomograph. With this, three different radio pharmaceuticals (RP) were used; 99mTC-GM PAO for examining cerebral circulatory disorders, 99mTC pertechnetate for visualizing tumor foci, and 99mTC-DTPK for studying impaired cerebral liquor pathway. Regional cerebral blood supply was studied in 78 patients with arterial aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations, with stenoses and thromboses of the great arterial trunks, as well in patients with brain injury sequelae and hypophyseal, craniofascial, and cavernous sinus tumors, VIII-neurinomas, meningiomas of the pyramid of the temporal bone. Some 103 patients with various intra- and extracerebral volumetric formations are examined. The impaired cerebral liquor pathways were explored in 27 patients with pathological processes of various genesis. Experience in clinically using the Russian Testascan computer gamma-tomograph in neurosurgical care has shown its high validity in diagnosing various focal processes of tumor and nontumor genesis. Single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) may reveal foci of abnormal elevation or reduction of RP accumulation by showing different anatomically topographic characteristics. SPECT is the most promising in the study of cerebrovascular diseases of various genesis and in the presence of tumors at basal sites.