Nuclear Medicine
May 28,2024 Update
Introduction to nuclear medicine
Nuclear medicine refers to the field of diagnosis and treatment of diseases by administering a drugs (Radiopharmaceuticals) with a small amount of a radioactive isotope (radioisotope: RI) as a marker.
When the radiopharmaceuticals are administered to the body, they are taken in by a specific organ, and the radiation energy is emitted there. The radiation is captured with a special camera called a Gamma Camera (scinticamera). In this manner, a characteristic of a nuclear medical examination is that it can create an image of the workings of the organ and the chemical changes, without causing any pain.
| Equipment | Mainly used for examination |
|---|---|
| Discovery NM630 (GE) | Cerebral blood flow scintigraphy, myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, bone scintigraphy, etc. |
| VERITON-CT (SDMJ) | Bone scintigraphy, brain striatum scintigraphy, pulmonary blood flow scintigraphy, etc. |
| Biograph16TP (SIEMENS) | Systemic tumor sugar metabolism PET/CT, etc. |
DiscoveryNM630
VERITON-CT
Biograph16TP
Time for the examination
The nuclear medicine scan requires a waiting time for the agent to gather in the desired organ after administering the radiopharmaceuticals. The time varies depending on the type of examination and the radiopharmaceuticals. The times required for the primary examinations and the duration of the imaging are shown below.
| Examination name | Radiopharmaceuticals | Purpose | Waiting time | Imaging time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bone scintigraphy | Tc-99m MDP etc. | Bone metastasis bone tumors etc. | About 3 hours after administration | About 30 minutes |
| Gallium scintigraphy | Ga-67 citate | Systemic search for tumors and inflammation | About 3 days after administration | About 30-40 minutes |
| Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy | Tl-201 Cl | Myocardial blood flow distribution | 10 minutes and 3 hours after administration (will be imaged twice) | About 20 minutes |
| Cerebral blood flow scintigraphy | Tc-99m ECD | Evaluation of cerebral blood flow distribution | There is no waiting time | About 30 minutes |
| Systemic tumor sugar metabolism PET/CT | F-18 FDG | Systemic tumor sugar metabolism | About 1 hour after administration, and 40 minutes after imaging | Approx. 30 minutes (about 3 hours including waiting time) |
* The time and duration of the imaging may vary depending on the type of examination and the directions from the doctor.
Important Points
- If you wear any of the following, you may be asked to remove them because they will affect the image:
→Accessories such as hairpins, dentures, eyeglasses, earrings and necklaces, hearing aids, watches, poultices, corsets, belts, magnetic patches and wallets. - The pre-treatment will depend on the examination. There will be an explanation from the attending doctor when you make the appointment for the examination, so please observe this. The following are the pre-treatments for the primary examinations:
| Examination name | Radiopharmaceuticals | Pre-treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Bone scintigraphy | Tc-99m MDP, etc. | Urination just before imaging |
| Gallium scintigraphy | Ga-67 citate | Take a laxative the day before the imaging and defecate before imaging |
| Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy | Tl-201 Cl | Prohibition of food and drink, except for water, from the morning of the examination day |
| Cerebral blood flow scintigraphy | Tc-99m ECD | None |
| Systemic tumor sugar metabolism PET/CT | F-18 FDG | Fast for more than 5 hours before the examination Please refrain from strenuous exercise from the day before the inspection. |
* The pre-treatment may vary depending on the type of examination and the directions from the attending doctor.
Please inform the attending doctor at the time of the reservation if any of the following apply to you:
- you are pregnant or may be pregnant.
- you are breast-feeding.
- you are claustrophobic.
- you have difficulty lying on your back for a long time.
Contact information
049-228-3514 [The Department of Radiology Nuclear Medicine Direct]
- Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the examination.
- Please contact the department in charge if you are unable to visit the hospital on that day or if you have any questions about changing your appointment.
