Abstract
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) in Differentiating Manganism from Idiopathic Parkinsonism: Yangho KIM, et al. Industrial Health Research Institute, Korea Industrial Safety Corporation (KISCO)—It is difficult to distinguish manganism and idiopathic parkinsonism from each other, especially in the settings where an isolated patient with parkinsonism has spent time in a manganese (Mn)-exposed working environment. We performed clinical examinations and laboratory studies including mangetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) in two Mnexposed workers (cases 1 and 2) who had parkinsonian features. The clinical features of case 1, however, were rather different from those of case 2, although both of them have some common parkinsonian features such as bradykinesia, tremor and rigidity. MRI in case 1 showed no abonormaities, but in case 2 showed symmetrical high signal intensities in the globus pallidus on a T1 weighted image. On PET findings, Ki values in the striatum were within the normal range in case 1, but reduced 18F-6-fluorodopa uptake in the left putamen was seen in case 2. PET provides information of considerable value in discriminating between idiopathic parkinsonism and mangnism.
