Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicine imaging utilizes small amounts of radioactive materials to visualize the structure and function of an organ, tissue, bone, or system within the body. Nuclear medicine imaging provides unique information that often cannot be obtained using other imaging procedures and offers the potential to identify disease in its earliest stages.

Common Uses of Nuclear Medicine

  • To visualize heart blood flow and function
  • To detect coronary artery disease and the extent of coronary stenosis
  • To assess damage to the heart following a heart attack
  • To scan lungs for respiratory and blood flow problems
  • To evaluate bones for fractures, infection, arthritis, tumor, or disease
  • To determine the presence or spread of cancer
  • To identify inflammation or abnormal function of the gallbladder
  • To identify bleeding into the bowel
  • To locate the presence of infection
  • To measure thyroid function
  • To analyze kidney blood flow and function
  • To detect urinary tract obstruction
  • To investigate abnormalities in the esophagus, such as esophageal reflux or motility disorders

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