Nuclear Medicine (Including Bone, HIDA and Thyroid Uptake Scans)

TOPIC SECTIONS

Since nuclear medicine evaluates the functioning of an organ, it can help identify disease or abnormalities that can’t be definitively diagnosed by only looking at an organ’s anatomy.

What Nuclear Medicine Is

Bone scans are one of approximately 70 types of nuclear medicine exams interpreted by RIA radiologists.

Nuclear medicine exams image body function rather than anatomy. This is done with the use of small amounts of radioactive materials, also known as tracers, each of which is designed to be attracted to specific organs or types of body tissue. Special cameras that can map the distribution of the radioactive tracer create images which are studied by radiologists.

Invision Sally Jobe radiologists read nearly 70 types of nuclear medicine exam results for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Nuclear medicine exams are among the safest available in diagnostic imaging. An estimated 10 to 12 million nuclear medicine exams are performed annually in the United States. Only small amounts of radioactive tracer are used. The tracer loses most of its radioactivity in hours or days and is quickly eliminated from the body.

RIA radiologists interpret the results of nuclear medicine exams at several Denver area hospitals.



Why It's Done & the Risks ►
Nuclear Medicine at Radiology Imaging Associates in Denver