Nuclear Medicine
In conventional diagnostic imaging, an external source of energy such as x-rays, magnetic fields or ultrasound waves is used to produce pictures of bone and soft tissue. However, in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging procedures, enable energy source is introduced into the body, where it gets incorporated in a specific tissue, organ or process and is then detected by an external device (gamma camera, SPECT or PET scanners) to provide information on organ function and cellular activity.
Nuclear medicine is a branch of medical imaging that uses small amounts of radioactive material referred to as radiotracers to diagnose or treat diseases such as cancer, heart disease, gastrointestinal, endocrine, neurological disorders and other abnormalities within the body. It also offers the opportunity to use therapeutic procedures, such as the radioactive iodine (I-131) therapy that uses small amounts of radioactive material to treat medical conditions affecting the thyroid gland, as well as treatments for other cancers and medical conditions.
Depending on the type of nuclear medicine exam, the radiotracer is either injected into the body, swallowed or inhaled as a gas eventually accumulating in the organ or area of the body being examined. Radioactive emissions from the radiotracer are detected by a special camera providing unique information that often cannot be obtained using other imaging procedures.
A practice known as image fusion or co-registration allows nuclear medicine images to be superimposed with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to produce special views. These views allow the information from two different exams to be correlated and interpreted into one image, leading to a more precise information and accurate diagnosis. In addition, medical manufacturers are now designing single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) units that are able to perform both imaging exams at the same time.
Nuclear medicine has the ability to make complex medical procedures simpler and safer for patients. This technology allows physicians and medical professionals are able to examine in great detail the most sensitive internal organs giving doctors the ability to diagnose diseases in the earliest stage possible.
Definitions:
Computed Tomography:
Computed tomography or CAT scan is a computerized X-ray imaging procedure in which a narrow beam of X-rays is aimed at a patient and quickly rotated around the body that was developed in 1967 by British electronics engineer Godfrey Hounsfield. CT scans reveal both bone and soft issues including organs, muscles, and tumors.
Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography (SPECT)
A SPECT scan that utilizes radiotracers to produce 3d images that show or your organs work. The radioactive tracers emit gamma rays (a form of electromagnetic radiation), from the patient which are then detected by the gamma camera which rotates around the patient forming three dimensional images.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
A PET scan uses radioactive tracers to create a 3d image that allows doctors to view the size, shape, position, and some function of organs.
References
Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and American College of Radiology (ACR). (2016, March 17). General Nuclear Medicine. Retrieved July 30, 2017, from https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=gennuclear
About Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging. (n.d.). Retrieved August 8, 2017, from http://www.snmmi.org/AboutSNMMI/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=6433
Nuclear Scans: MedlinePlus. (n.d.). Retrieved August 10, 2017, from https://medlineplus.gov/nuclearscans.html
