Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging Technology

Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging

What is Nuclear Medicine?

Nuclear Medicine is a medical speciality that uses safe, painless, and cost-effective techniques both to image the body and treat disease.
Nuclear imaging is unique in that it documents both organ function and morphology.Gamma ray emitting radiotracer is injected intravenously and non-invasive imaging is performed with state-of-the-art Dual Head Gamma Camera (GE Millennium VG)

Why Nuclear Scan?

When we already have X-ray, Ultrasound, CT & MRI, why do we need this?

It provides unique functional information from cellular and molecular levels which is not possible with other modalities.
It is an extremely sensitive technique
It provides dynamic and quantitative information
It enables objective and prognostic assessment of disease

When do we use Nuclear Scan

Radionuclide procedures are available for almost all organ systems just like the different X-ray procedures. It is used in evaluation of Heart, Lung, Brain, Bone, Kidneys, Liver etc.Scans are designed to study various aspects like concentration, excretion, drainage/flow of tracers in various organs or localize/characterize the leison pathology.

Is it Safe

PET CT

GE/Discovery IQ PET CT – First in South Tamilnadu to have a PET CT

PET CT is revolutionizing Cancer care

The value of Whole body Positron Emission Tomography–Computed Tomography (PET/CT) for diagnostic imaging in oncology is well established with its capabilities to combine anatomical and functional aspects of the whole body to provide a complete picture of patient’s disease status.

PET CT can help speed up treatment, because metabolic changes in a tumor occur more frequently than structural changes. It is a more accurate and reliable solution that can help clinicians determine how well a treatment is working especially in lymphomas after as few as 1 to 2 cycles of chemotherapy, and they will be able to tailor the treatment according to individual patient’s response and needs. Thus Molecular imaging using PET CT is a decisive tool for early diagnosis, treatment staging as well as monitoring the progress of treatment, while also reducing overall treatment cost.

Most common uses of PET/CT are found in Oncology, Cardiology and Neurology practices.

FDG PET/CT is an integral part of cancer management in Evidence Based Practice. PETCT is used for initial staging of various cancers, Radiotherapy planning, treatment response assessment, restaging and surveillance in Oncology practice.It changes treatment decision in significant proportion of cancer patients.
In Cardiology practice, FDG PET/CT is the gold standard test for detection of myocardial viability. It provides evidence for selection of heart disease (coronary artery disease) patients for revascularization (stenting / bypass surgery).
In Neurology practice, FDG PET/CT is used to provide differential diagnosis for Dementia it helps Neurosurgeons in mapping the brain for surgical resection, in cases of drug resistant Epilepsy.

Gamma Camera – SPECT

GE-Millenium MG

with Gamma Camera involves preparation and injection of radiopharmaceuticals that specifically trace the function of Organ of Interest. Radiopharmaceuticals are prepared in the well-equipped Hot Lab in the Department of Molecular Imaging. These specific radiopharmaceuticals are administered to patients and images are acquired. Static, dynamic and parametric images can be obtained under a Gamma Camera.

Diagnostic Services:

Stress myocardial perfusion spect - (thallium scan)

Myocardial Perfusion Scan visualizes the distribution of tracer uptake in the heart muscle, which reflects regional blood flow in different coronary artery territories. This can be performed with 201T1/ 99m Tc- Sestamibi / Trofosmin.
Rest Injection Scan indicates whether the heart muscle is viable or scarred due to prior attacks. Stress (Exercise/Pharmacological) Scan reveals inducible ischemic perfusion defect corresponding to significant coronary disease.
MDP Bone scan
MIBG, HYNICTOC and DMSA (V) Imaging for endocrine tumors
Parathyroid Imaging
Whole body Iodine Scan for thyroid cancer

Advanced cardiac analysis with quantitative perfusion Spect and gated spect software provides the following information:

Clinical Indications

Detection of Coronary Artery Disease
Chest Pain Evaluation – Stress Test with uninterpretable ECG
Assessment of borderline Coronary Stenosis seen in Angio
Assessment of Myocardial Viability
Cardiac fitness for non-cardiac surgery

Whole Body Bone Scan

A bone scan is a diagnostic imaging study which records the distribution of a radioactive tracer in the skeletal system. It is the most sensitive study available to pick up any pathology of the skeleton.

Clinical Indications

Metastatic Bone leisons
Primary Bone leisons
Osteoid Osteoma etc.
Infection/Inflammation
Osteomyelities
Sacroilitis
Avascular Necrosis
Trauma Stress fracture
Metabolic Bone Disease
Bone pain evaluation – low back ache evaluation

Renal Scan

Renal scans are performed to evaluate the differential renal function, the extraction and excretion function of the kidneys. Information about Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR), tubular function and cortical morphology can be obtained by such scans.

Clinical Indications

DTPA Renal Scan

PUJ Stenosis

DMSA Cortical Scan

Voiding Cystography:

Brain Spect

Brain Perfusion SPECT with advanced NeuroGam Analysis Package for diagnosing:

Other Indications

Thyroid Scan to evaluate palpable thyroid nodule, midline neck swelling and thyromegaly & toxic goitres
Radio Iodine Scan for post operative thyroid cancer
Lung Ventilation Perfusion Scan for pulmonary embolism
Radionuclide Ventriculography for LV function & Ejection fraction
Isotope Venography for DVT
Scinti-mammography for doubtful breast leison