A radionuclide scan is an imaging technique that uses a small dose of a radioactive chemical (isotope) called a tracer that can detect cancer, trauma, infection or other disorders. In a radionuclide scan, the tracer either is injected into a vein or swallowed.

What are the advantages of radionuclide imaging?

A nuclear medicine scan is less expensive and may yield more precise information than exploratory surgery. Nuclear medicine offers the potential to identify disease in its earliest stage, often before symptoms occur or abnormalities can be detected with other diagnostic tests.

What kind of radiation is mainly used in radionuclide imaging?

Variations of Radionuclide Scanning

SPECT is similar to computed tomography but uses radionuclide gamma rays rather than x-rays.