The Total Body Scanner in Neurological Disease

Abstract

Computerised tomography of the brain was developed in 1973. A considerable volume of experience has accumulated during this time to allow evaluation of the technique in the investigation of patients with intracranial disease. On the other hand, total body scanning is a more recent development and the experience with the technique is much more limited. The purpose of this communication is to summarise our experience with a prototype EMI total body scanner installed at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology for the investigation of neurological disease. The subject will be dealt with in two parts: (1) versatility of the total body scanner and its value in clinical practice and (2) a comparison between the prototype total body scanner and the dedicated head scanner in brain imaging, including analyses of the difference in performance of the two scanners and its effect on the brain image.