NUCLEAR MEDICINE IMAGING

Nuclear medicine imaging (also called radionuclide scanning) is an excellent diagnostic tool because it shows not only the anatomy (structure) of an organ or body part, but the function of the organ as well. This additional "functional information" allows nuclear medicine to diagnose certain diseases and various medical conditions much sooner than other medical imaging examinations, which provide mainly anatomic (structural) information about an organ or body part. Nuclear medicine can be valuable in the early diagnosis, treatment and prevention of numerous medical conditions and continues to grow as a powerful medical tool.

SPECT (Single Positron Emission Computed Tomography) is another type of nuclear medicine examination. SPECT uses a gamma camera, which can rotate, and computer reconstruction similar to PET. In some cases, PET may be more sensitive than SPECT, but PET scanners are much more costly than SPECT scanners and are often only available in the largest medical centers.