Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicine uses tiny amounts of radioactive substances to help doctors diagnose and treat a variety of health problems and diseases. It provides information about the structure and function of your body that can’t be found using other imaging exams.

When you have a nuclear medicine exam, you’ll be given a small dose of radioactive material. This radioactive “tracer” moves to the organ to be studied where it gives off energy as gamma rays. A gamma camera detects these rays and, with the help of a computer, produces images and measurements of organs and tissues.

Nuclear medicine studies can be used to:

• Evaluate bones for infection, arthritis or a tumor
• Evaluate heart function and coronary artery flow
• Find and treat certain cancers
• Identify bleeding in the bowel
• Identify blockages of the gallbladder
• Look for infection
• Measure thyroid function
• Scan lungs for respiratory and blood flow problems
• Study kidney function

Nuclear medicine services

Nuclear medicine services available include:

• Specialized and routine imaging techniques for cardiac, musculoskeletal, thyroid and parathyroid disorders as well as for gastrointestinal, pulmonary and neurological exams
• Therapies for thyroid diseases and carcinomas
• Tumor, inflammation and infection imaging
• Lymphatic system imaging
• DEXA or bone density testing to assess bone mineral density
• Gated blood pool imaging (MUGA scan) for heart function disorders
• Isotope therapy
• Nuclear medicine exams for children
• Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging