NUCLEAR MEDICINE

NUCLEAR MEDICINEN Nuclear medicine imaging involves the administration of radiopharmaceuticals to patients consisted of substances with affinity for certain body tissues labeled with radioactive tracers. Tracers of the most commonly used is technetium-99 m, iodine-123, Iodine-131, gallium-67 and thallium-201. Heart, lung, thyroid, liver, gallbladder, and bones are generally evaluated for particular conditions using this technique. While anatomical detail is limited in this study, Nuclear medicine is useful in displaying physiological function. Excretion function of kidneys, iodine concentrating ability of the thyroid, blood flow to the heart muscle, etc. can be measured. The main imaging device is a camera that detects gamma radiation emitted by the tracer in the body and display it as a picture. With computer processing, information can be displayed as axial images, Coronal and sagittal (SPECT images, single photon emission computed tomography). In most modern tools Nuclear medicine images can be fused with a CT scan taken quasi-simultaneously so that the physiological information can be coated or co-registered with anatomical structures to improve diagnostic accuracy. PET (positron emission tomography) scanning also falls under "Nuclear Medicine." in PET scanning, biologically active substances, radioactive materials, most often fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose, injected into the patient and the radiation emitted by the patient is detected to produce multi-planar image of the body. More metabolically active tissues, such as cancer, active substance concentration more than normal tissue. Animal PET images can be combined with CT images to improve diagnostic accuracy. Nuclear medicine applications could include scanning which traditionally has a strong role in kerja-up/pementasan bone cancer. Myocardial perfusion imaging is a sensitive and specific screening exam for reversible myocardial ischemia. Molecular imaging is a new and exciting frontier in this field.