N-isopropyl-p-[123I]iodoamphetamine SPECT in MELAS syndrome: comparison with CT and MR imaging.

Regional cerebral perfusion was studied in three patients with the mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) syndrome, using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with N-isopropyl-p-(123I)iodoamphetamine (IMP). Accumulation of the tracer was relatively decreased in the parietooccipital regions and also in the frontotemporal regions after stroke-like episodes. However, quantitative regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) measurement showed that rCBF was relatively well preserved even at these sites, and a hyperemic state was observed at the sites of normal accumulation. IMP SPECT may be useful in the diagnosis and assessment of the progress of the MELAS syndrome.