A nuclear medicine scan, also known as a radionuclide scan, is a painless imaging test that uses a radioactive tracer to show how organs and tissues are functioning.
Principles
- A small amount of radioactive tracer is injected into the patient
- The tracer emits gamma rays that are detected by a special camera called a gamma camera
- The camera takes pictures of the tracer’s pattern in the body
- A nuclear medicine physician interprets the images to identify any abnormalities
Applications
- Evaluating the function of organs like the heart, brain, lungs, thyroid, kidneys, stomach, and bowel
- Detecting and staging cancer
- Checking for blood clots
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