What is Nuclear Medicine?

Nuclear Medicine is the subdivision of Medical Imaging which is used to diagnose different body part conditions. This method is very secure, painless, cost-effective than other tests to know about our health condition. Nuclear Medicine is able to find out the abnormalities at the earlier stage and helps to manage, treat and prevent it. This process uses a small amount of radioactive material to determine the seriousness of a variety of diseases like heart disorders, neurological disorders, cancer, gastrointestinal diseases, etc.

Diagnosis

The process that takes place in Nuclear Medicine is a patient will inhale, swallow or inject the radioactive substance called Radiopharmaceuticals or Radiotracers. After taking the radioactive substance, the patient will simply lie on the bed and the material will pass through the body. It reaches the specific part where we need to check. At that time a camera will take the images of the internal body with the help of radioactive emissions from the radiotracer. Through these images the doctor can diagnose what is the problem and where it is. By using this technique patient can recognize the disease at the earlier stage.

Most of the medical labs use Computed Tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) with Nuclear Imaging to provide better results. This method helps to get the details from two separate tests to be connected and provides accurate results. Also, the Imaging techniques include Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT). It provides better information about body organ functions, conditions, etc.

Nuclear Medicine can be used in both adult and children to view the body parts, tissues, bones, their functions, etc. Here we point out some uses of Nuclear Medicine in adults & children.

In an adult, we can visualize the heart, lungs, bones, brain, renal, other system functions, Cancer condition, etc.

Heart

Helps to diagnose blood flow and functions, destruction of heart, coronary artery diseases. It also evaluates the condition of the heart during Chemotherapy, Bypass surgery, Angioplasty, heart transplant rejection.

Lungs

Detects blood flow and respiratory issues, lungs transplant rejection.

Bones

Analyze bone fractures, infection, bone tumors, arthritis, other bone diseases, etc.

Brain

• investigate abnormalities in the brain in patients with certain symptoms or disorders, such as seizures, memory loss and suspected abnormalities in blood flow
• detect the early onset of neurological disorders such as Alzheimers disease
• assist in surgical planning and localize seizure foci
• evaluate for abnormalities in a chemical in the brain involved in controlling movement in patients with suspected Parkinsons disease or related movement disorders
• evaluation for suspected brain tumor recurrence, surgical or radiation planning or localization for biopsy

Other Systems

• identify inflammation or abnormal function of the gallbladder
• identify bleeding into the bowel
• assess post-operative complications of gallbladder surgery
• evaluate lymphedema
• evaluate fever of unknown origin
• locate the presence of infection
• measure thyroid function to detect an overactive or underactive thyroid
• help diagnose hyperthyroidism and blood cell disorders
• evaluate for hyperparathyroidism
• evaluate stomach emptying
• evaluate spinal fluid flow and potential spinal fluid leaks