[Role of positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) in so-called "multiple chemical sensitivity"].

Abstract

Functional imaging with SPECT and PET is increasingly used to prove evidence for the existence of a syndrome "Multiple Chemical Sensitivity" (MCS) and plays a major role in legal trials to justify compensation for the exposure to solvents. This paper critically reviews the literature on the use of SPECT and PET for the determination of MCS. The authors come to the conclusion that the current data are not sufficient to justify the claim of the existence of such a syndrome. The low specificity of the observed PET and especially SPECT-findings makes it very difficult to establish a cause-result relationship and therefore makes the use of these methods in legal trials on this issue doubtful.

• Authors: P Bartenstein, F Grünwald, K Herholz, T Kuwert, K Tatsch, O Sabri, C Weiller
• Journal: Nuklearmedizin. Nuclear medicine (Nuklearmedizin) Vol. 38 Issue 7 Pg. 297-301 ( 1999) ISSN: 0029-5566 [Print] Germany
• Vernacular Title: Rolle der Positronen-Emissions-Tomographie (PET) und Single-Photon-Emissions-Tomographie (SPECT) bei der sogenannten "Multiple Chemical Sensitivity" (MCS).
• PMID: 10599070 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Topics

• Humans
• Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (diagnostic imaging)
• Reproducibility of Results
• Sensitivity and Specificity
• Tomography, Emission-Computed
• Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon