To evaluate the usefulness of brain SPECT as a tool with diagnostic and prognostic values m patients with acute cerebral infarction, twenty-four patients who were diagnosed as embolic(n=12) or thrombotic(n7-12) infarction by clinical manifestation and brain CT or MRI were selected. Both 99mTc-HMPAO & 99mTc-DTPA Brain SPECT were performed for each patients within 1 week after the attack Asymmetric index(Al) in both hemispheres was calculated as 200(l(right-left)l/(right+left)). Activities of daily livmg(ADL) was scored by Barthel Index on the admission day and the 21st day after the attack. The relationshiop between ADL index and Al of two types of brain SPECT was analysed by calculating correlation coefficient. 1.In embolic infarction, the Al of 99mTc-DTPA SPECT was markedly higher than that of 99mTc-HMPAO spect, but there was no difference in thrombotic type. 2. The AI of 99m'Tc-DTPA SPECT in embohc infarction was sigiuficantly higher than that m thrombotic type(p valu=.001), but the Al of 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT was similar in both types of infarction. 3.The correlation coefficient Al of 99mTc-DTPA Brain SPECT and ADL m the 21st day after stroke was statistically significated. These results suggested that the 99mTc-DTPA brain SPECT should be useful not only for the differemtial diagnosis between thrombotic and embolic infarctions but also for the prediction of prognosis in patients with ischemic stroke.
Activities of Daily Living ; Brain* ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Diagnosis* ; Humans ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Prognosis* ; Stroke ; Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime ; Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Because tinnitus can be generated from the damaged cochlear hair cells, patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss frequently complain their tinnitus as an important symptom. We prospectively designed this study to understand the clinical characteristics of tinnitus in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Thirty-seven patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss who performed an audiologic study and questionnare of tinnitus before and immediately after the combination therapy for hearing loss were included. Their clinical and audiologic data were prospectively entered into a comprehensive data base to analyze the clinical characteristics of tinnitus. RESULTS: Most of the patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss showed abrupt and concomitant onset of tinnitus in the same ear of hearing loss. The characteristics of tinnitus were changed according to the degree of hearing recovery of sudden hearing loss. CONCLUSION: Improvement of tinnitus in the patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss may be closely related to the degree of hearing recovery. Understanding the characteristics of tinnitus in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss might be helpful in counselling them during the treatment period of hearing loss.
Ear ; Hair ; Hearing Loss* ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Hearing Loss, Sudden* ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Tinnitus*