Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicine is a safe and painless imaging tool that is used to study various organs, allowing radiologists to detect and diagnose a range of conditions, including heart abnormalities, liver disease, and bone infections. Often, nuclear medicine scans show abnormalities before any other diagnostic tests.

Different isotopes are used to study various organs, allowing radiologists to detect and diagnose a range of conditions, including heart abnormalities, liver disease, and bone infections. Patients are administered a small amount of radioactive isotope via intravenous injection, orally or inhaled. The radioactivity is emitted from the patient and is detected by the camera to obtain the scan.

These exams provide unique and detailed information needed to make a diagnosis, particularly during early stages of disease. During the exam, a certified nuclear medicine technologist will introduce a very small amount of radioactive material into your body. Special cameras communicate with computers to produce extremely detailed images of the body part being examined.

Exams usually take 45 – 240 minutes. Some exams require preparation.