NUCLEAR MEDICINE CNS ASSESSMENT, PROTOCOLS, AND INTERPRETATION

Course overview

VARIOUS PATHOLOGIES AFFECTING THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) ARE TYPICALLY DIAGNOSED USING CONVENTIONAL ANATOMICAL IMAGING SUCH AS COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (CT) AND/OR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI). HOWEVER, NUCLEAR MEDICINE CAN OFFER A FUNCTIONAL AND METABOLIC ASSESSMENT OF THE BRAIN, SPINE, AND CEREBROSPINAL FLUID (CSF). THIS ACTIVITY PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO THE COMPLEMENTARY ROLE OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE IN DIAGNOSING CNS PATHOLOGIES ALONGSIDE CT AND MRI, WHICH ARE TYPICALLY THE INITIAL IMAGING MODALITIES. CONSIDERING THAT NUCLEAR MEDICINE STUDIES OF THE CNS ARE NOT TYPICALLY THE PRIMARY DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING EXAMINATION AND HEAVILY DEPEND ON PRE-TEST PROBABILITY, THIS EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY WILL EXAMINE THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND ASSOCIATED DIAGNOSTIC ABNORMALITIES OF MAJOR DISEASE PROCESSES, AS WELL AS THE INDICATIONS AND CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF VARIOUS NUCLEAR MEDICINE EXAMINATIONS AND RADIOTRACERS. THIS ACTIVITY FOCUSES ON 5 SIGNIFICANT CATEGORIES—NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE IMAGING, LOCALIZATION OF SEIZURE FOCI, CEREBRAL PERFUSION IMAGING, AND CSF ABNORMALITIES. THIS ACTIVITY ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE CRITICAL ROLES OF THE INTERDISCIPLINARY HEALTHCARE TEAM, AIMING TO MAXIMIZE THE DIAGNOSTIC UTILITY OF THESE EXAMINATIONS.