Nuclear Medicine Questions and Answers

Nuclear Medicine Questions and Answers Nuclear Medicine Studies physiology or function Radiopharmaceutical is administered -pharmaceutical -radionuclide Yields quantitative and qualitative data Hot, warm, cold spots Routes of administration vary with the study. e.g. IV, oral, IM, intrathecal, etc targets specific organ pharmaceutical emits measurable wave radionuclide Kidney Heart Lungs Gallbladder Bones Cancer Bowel Infection Thyroid Brain Lymph node Nuclear imaging is most useful for? dynamic imaging static imaging whole-body imaging single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) What methods are used in imagining? single photon emission computed tomography SPECT Dynamic imaging serial display of multiple frames of date "Active" (blood flow) Static imaging planar imaging camera captures one image at a time gives 2d image whole-body imaging anterior and posterior sweeps of patients body 2d imaging single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) provides 3d data increases specificity and sensitivity Cardiac Imaging MUGA Scan - Multigated Acquisition Purpose: to provide an ejection fraction** Provides info about CO, end-systolic and end-diastolic volume, ejection fraction and velocity, and regional wall motion of the ventricle Normal Nuclear Medicine Myocardial (heart) Perfusion Scan The camera rotates around the patient and produces 'slices' of the heart in several different views. It shows areas in the heart muscle that are not receiving enough blood flow. These areas can often be treated to restore blood flow. Thyroid Imaging (endocrine studies) Patient sits with the camera directed at the neck for 5 minutes measures uptake of radioactive iodine performed 4-6 hours and 24 hours after evaluates size, position, and function; differentiate between masses in neck, base of tongue, or mediastinum hot vs cold nodules radioactive iodine It is transported to the thyroid and incorporated into the thyroid hormone production; performed 4-6hrs and 24hrs after dosage Benign adenomas appear as nodules with increased uptake of iodine or "hot" nodules dark spots Malignant areas generally take the form of a "cold" nodule white/light spots