technetium Tc 99m bicisate

Technetium Tc 99m bicisate is a **radiopharmaceutical diagnostic agent** used for **single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging of cerebral perfusion**. It consists of the lipophilic chelate bicisate (ethylcysteinate dimer, ECD) labeled with the radionuclide technetium-99m, which emits gamma radiation detectable by gamma cameras. After intravenous injection, it crosses the blood-brain barrier and is taken up by brain tissue in proportion to local perfusion. Once in the brain, it is intracellularly metabolized to polar compounds that are trapped within viable cells, allowing for regional imaging of cerebral blood flow. It is primarily used to identify and localize brain regions affected by **stroke**, as an adjunct to CT or MRI, but does not assess functional viability of tissue or distinguish stroke from other brain lesions. Its clearance is predominantly renal, and images are typically obtained 10 minutes to 6 hours post-injection, with optimal images at 30–60 minutes. The product is marketed as Neurolite and is generally considered safe, but exposes patients to ionizing radiation and requires the usual precautions for radiopharmaceuticals[3][5][6][7][12].

Brand names

Neurolite

Other names

technetium Tc 99m bicisatetechnetium Tc-99m bicisatetechnetium Tc 99m ethylcysteinate dimerTc 99m ECDTc99m ECDTc-99m ECDbicisate dihydrochloride