Regional distribution of technetium-99m-ECD in the canine brain: Optimal injection–acquisition interval in adult beagles

Changes in the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), a measure for regional cerebral metabolism, have been reported in dogs suffering from behavioral problems like shadow chasing, anxiety, and compulsive disorders. The rCBF can be measured with single-photon emission computed tomography. Although the acquisition is performed afterward under general anesthesia, the distribution of technetium-99m-ethylene-diylbis-l-cysteine diethyl ester or 99mTc-ECD, a tracer which becomes trapped in the brain, represents the rCBF at the moment the tracer was administered to the awake dog (fixed or frozen image). The aim of this study was to examine the in vivo stability and the duration of the fixed distribution of this tracer in the canine brain. Three acquisitions were performed 15, 40, and 65 minutes after tracer injection. Total counts and perfusion indices, normalized to the total brain counts and to the cerebellum, were calculated (semiquantification). At T65, significant differences in the perfusion indices occurred compared with at T15. This study shows that in dogs, regional differences in the clearance of 99mTc-ECD result in significant alterations of the perfusion indices from 65 minutes onward after tracer injection. Therefore, it is recommended to start the acquisition between 15 and 40 minutes postinjection in dogs when this technique is used for studying rCBF alterations in dogs with behavioral problems.