Information for Patients about Our Tests

Feb 07, 2008
What is Nuclear Medicine?
  • Nuclear Medicine is a specialized type of diagnostic imaging using slightly radioactive tracer materials to evaluate organ function
  • The amount of radiation a patient typically receives from a nuclear scan is usually equivalent to one or two CT scans.
  • It is a relatively safe, non-invasive way of assessing a variety of conditions
  • In nuclear medicine tests the focus is on the physiology or function of an organ, while in X –Ray, CT and MRI scans the focus is on the structure.

Here is More Detail About Each Test

The Nuclear Stress Test aka “Myoview Scan”:
  • Myocardial Perfusion scan- compares blood supply to the heart at rest versus during stress to evaluate a patient's risk for having a heart attack It detects “ischemia”, a condition where the living tissue is not getting adequate blood supply.
  • Tc-99m Myoview is the name of the “radioactive tracer material” which is used like a dye to “see” the heart.
  • Another Tracer material sometimes used is called Tc-99m Sestamibi ( the “MIBI” test)
  • We stress the patient's heart under the supervision of a physician 1 of 2 ways:
    • Nuclear Treadmill: for those who can walk on a treadmill, and don't have Left bundle branch block (a certain heart rhythm that can mask EKG changes) we have them walk on a treadmill (usually between 3 and 12 minutes) to stress their heart
    • Pharmaceutical Stress Test: for those who cannot walk adequately on a treadmill, or have LBB, we use a chemical called dypyridamole (persantine) to chemically stress their heart. It mimics the effect of stress by dilating blood vessels, however the unhealthy blood vessels are unable to dilate like healthy vessels do; hence, the comparison occurs here.

MUGA Heart Scan:
  • This test evaluates Wall motion and Left Ventricle function (ejection Fraction)
  • test may be called: ventriculogram, gated blood pool imaging, wall motion study, EF, or perhaps a combination of the above
  • uses patients own blood, labeled with a small amount of radioactive material

Bone Scan:
  • uses a slightly radioactive tracer attached to a phosphate molecule to evaluate bone function
  • used to evaluate a variety of bone pathology including:
  • tiny fracture too small to be detected by x-rays
  • compression fractures in the spine
  • metastasis
  • osteomyelitis
  • prosthetic loosening (ie- as in hip or knee replacement)
  • RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy
  • bone pain, normal x-ray

HIDA Gallbladder scan:
  • using a slightly radioactive tracer material to evaluate gallbladder function
  • a separate chemical, which is a synthetic of the hormone naturally produced by the body after eating a fatty meal is used to stimulate the gallbladder, and see how well the gallbladder contracts under that stimulus

Kidney Flow and Function:
  • a radioactive tracer is used to evaluate kidney flow and function
  • can be done to evaluate for renovascular hypertension

Gastric Studies:
  • patient is fed an egg-salad sandwich, which also contains a small amount of tracer material. The test then measures the time it takes for the sandwich to be emptied from the stomach.
  • used to evaluate gastric problems such as:
  • gastroparesis (food moving too slowly through stomach or digestive track)
  • bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, “long lasting full-feeling”

Thyroid Uptake and Scan:
  • a radioactive tracer is used to evaluate the thyroid gland, size shape, activity (normal, overactive- hyperthyroid, or underactive- hypothyroid), evaluates nodules within the thyroid gland

Non Nuclear Medicine Testing

Bone Density Scan (DXA scan):
  • uses a very low level x-ray to measure bone density
  • used as a screening, or to evaluate bones in people with a variety of conditions such as vitamin D or calcium deficiency to examine bone health

24 hour Amubulatory Blood Pressure:
  • patient is sent home with a blood pressure cuff that measures and records their blood pressure at regular intervals over a 24 hour period.
  • Used to evaluate “white coat hypertension”
  • used to get a more clear idea of a patients blood pressure in a non-clinical setting

PADNET Testing:
  • valuates patients for peripheral artery disease, a condition of the peripheral circulatory system
  • PAD could be a risk factor in cardiac disease

Body Fat Analysis Testing:
  • a painless and extremely accurate method of measuring a persons percentage of body fat. This test can be useful for tracking weight changes, and helping people to concentrate on weight loss of fat and not muscle.Does not need a doctors order.