About Radioisotope Imaging
A radionuclide scan combines the use of tracer isotopes with imaging to diagnose problems in specific organs or tissues. It involves injecting a small amount of a labeled chemical into the patient. Different tracers tend to collect in particular organs or tissues, and when the tracer gets there it gives off radiation, which is detected by a special scanner or camera. The resulting image shows the area of the body where the tracer accumulated, allowing doctors to find problems such as damage to tissue or blood flow. URL https://int.livhospital.com/nuclear-medicine/
Chemists have identified many chemicals that are absorbed by specific organs (for example, the thyroid takes up iodine, while the brain consumes quantities of glucose). Doctors then attach these chemical markers to other substances which can be used as probes in diagnostic tests. These are known as radiopharmaceuticals, and they can be used to detect tumours, to assess the effectiveness of treatment for cancerous tumors, or to evaluate changes in the functioning of a gland such as the heart or the thyroid.
How Nuclear Imaging Helps Doctors Diagnose Hard-to-Detect Conditions
Most often, a radionuclide is introduced into the body via injection or by breathing in, swallowing, or infusing eye drops. It takes several hours for the tracer to accumulate in the target organ and start giving off radiation, which is detected by a scanning machine. The resulting images are called gamma-ray scans.
The most common radionuclide is technetium-99m, which is produced by a generator from molybdenum-99 at ANSTO’s Safari reactor in Australia and by NTP in South Africa. Other radioisotopes include iodine-131, samarium-153, gallium-67, and lutetium-177.
