PURPOSE
To compare myocardial sympathetic imaging using 123I‐Metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy and striatal dopaminergic imaging using 123I‐Ioflupane (FP‐CIT) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in patients with suspected Lewy body diseases (LBD).
METHODS
Ninety‐nine patients who performed both methods within 2 months for differential diagnosis between Parkinson's disease (PD) and other parkinsonism (n = 68) or between dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and other dementia (n = 31) were enrolled. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive values of both methods were calculated.
RESULTS
For 123I‐MIBG scintigraphy, the overall sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive values in LBD were 83%, 79%, 82%, 86%, and 76%, respectively. For 123I‐FP‐CIT SPECT, the overall sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive values in LBD were 93%, 41%, 73%, 71%, and 80%, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between these two methods in patients without LBD, but not in patients with LBD.
CONCLUSIONS
LBD usually present both myocardial sympathetic and striatal dopaminergic impairments. 123I‐FP‐CIT SPECT presents high sensitivity in the diagnosis of LBD; 123I‐MIBG scintigraphy may have a complementary role in differential diagnosis between PD and other parkinsonism. These scintigraphic methods showed similar diagnostic accuracy in differential diagnosis between DLB and other dementia.