Nuclear medicine

Nuclear medicine uses radioactive substances, called radiopharmaceuticals, to image organs, measure their function, and treat certain diseases.

Radiopharmaceutical: A medicinal compound containing a radioactive isotope for imaging or therapy. These compounds deliver radioactive tracers or treatment to particular tissues.
Bone scintigraphy: A nuclear imaging examination that detects radiotracer uptake in the skeleton. It reveals patterns of bone turnover associated with metastases, injury, or disease.
Radioisotope: An isotope with an unstable nucleus that undergoes radioactive decay. Radioisotopes provide the emissions measured or used for treatment.
Computed tomography: An imaging method that reconstructs cross-sectional anatomy from X-ray measurements. CT primarily depicts structure, while nuclear scans often depict physiology.
Gamma camera: An imaging device that detects gamma rays emitted from a patient and maps their distribution. It converts emissions from many diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals into planar images.
Myocardial perfusion imaging: Imaging that assesses blood flow to heart muscle, often at rest and during stress. Radiotracer uptake can show regions of reduced cardiac perfusion.
Radiotracer: A detectable labeled substance used to track a biological process or material. Radiotracers reveal where a compound travels and how tissues handle it.
Magnetic resonance imaging: An imaging method that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of tissue. MRI does not rely on radioactive tracers or ionizing radiation.
Single-photon emission computed tomography: A tomographic imaging technique that reconstructs three-dimensional distributions of gamma-emitting radiotracers. SPECT adds three-dimensional localization to gamma-camera measurements.
Thyroid scan: An imaging study that shows thyroid uptake and distribution of a radioactive tracer. It helps characterize thyroid nodules and patterns of gland activity.

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