Brain scintigraphy in patients with hydrocephalus

Brain scintigraphy is a simple, innocuous and valuable diagnostic method. Particulary in children, in order to minimize damage by examination, brain scintigraphy should be the first examination for patients, before other diagnostic methods such as cerebral angiography and pneumoencephalography. In the 3 years between Jan. 1970 and Dec. 1972, 235 children under the age of 15 years had brain scintigraphy with sup(99m)Tc pertechnetate at the Tokyo Women's Medical College Hospital. The authors especially attended to the findings of scintigrams in children with hydrocephalus. 29 children with non-neoplastic hydrocephalus were scanned with sup(99m)Tc pertechnetate: noncommunicating hydrocephalus; 9; hydroencephalodysplasia; 4; Chiari Arnold malformation; 1; cranium bifidum; 2; communicating hydrocephalis; 13. In noncommunicating hydrocephalus, the midline structure on the scintigram appeared thicker than the normal, because activity in the superior sagittal sinus was relatively high compared to the reduction of activity in the enlarged ventricles. In cases of very severe hydrocephalus, the basal ganglia was shown as a clear hot spot on the scintigram, because R. I. activity in the basal ganglia was relatively high compared to the reduction of R. I. activity in the enlarged ventricles. In cases of hydroencephalodysplasia, the midline structure on the scintigram shifted to the side opposite the dysplasia, as the result of pressure from a large CSF collection. In cases of cranium bifidum, the scintigram showed an elevation of the transverse sinus and the confluent sinus. (auth.)