Overview of Nuclear Imaging
Nuclear imaging uses small amounts of radioactive materials called radiotracers that are typically injected into the bloodstream, inhaled or swallowed. It is a method of producing images by detecting radiation from different parts of the body after a radioactive tracer is given to the patient. Nuclear medicine imaging provides unique information that often cannot be obtained using other imaging procedures and offers the potential to identify disease in its earliest stages. The nuclear imaging can be used to monitor functional and molecular processes by radiolabeling of specific chemicals of a biological specimen. This branch of radiology is often used to help diagnose and treat abnormalities very early in the progression of a disease, such as thyroid cancer . Why its need Nuclear medicine imaging procedures are noninvasive. With the exception of intravenous injections, they are usually painless. There are legitimate concerns about possible cancer induction even by low levels o