Hendrick Health is pleased to announce the availability of DaTscan™ (Ioflupane I 123 Injection), the first FDA-approved imaging agent to help physicians, along with other diagnostic tools, determine if patients have a Parkinsonian Syndrome (PS) or Essential Tremor (ET).
DaTscan imaging may help physicians provide timely and appropriate brain imaging scans, which may assist in the evaluation of adult patients with suspected PSs. Additionally, the added clarity of visualization with DaTscan to a clinical evaluation may help patients and their families become better informed.
“Offering DaTscan imaging marks an important milestone for us at Hendrick Health. With this imaging agent, we will be better equipped to provide additional information about patients who are struggling with a suspected Parkinsonian Syndrome,” said Jory Lee, director of radiology services at Hendrick Health. “Through DaTscan imaging, our goal is to provide physicians additional information that may aid in the diagnosis of their patients.”
Approximately one million Americans will be living with Parkinson’s disease (PD), a type of PS, by 2020, and approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease each year. It is estimated that more than 10 million people around the world are living with PD. These numbers do not reflect the number of people who go undiagnosed.
People with PD may display motor symptoms, such as tremors or shaking, muscle stiffness, difficulty walking, and slower body movement. They may also display nonmotor symptoms such as low blood pressure, cognitive problems, speaking in a softer voice, vision changes, and trouble sleeping.
“A challenge for physicians can be differentiating Parkinsonian Syndromes from other conditions, such as essential tremor, which mimics Parkinsonian Syndromes,” said Lee. “While the symptoms may sometimes be similar, treatment and prognosis differ. DaTscan is a tool that may help in diagnostically challenging cases.”
Patients and caregivers should discuss symptoms with their physicians to determine their clinical path.
