Scintigraphy is an imaging procedure that plays a decisive role in nuclear medical diagnostics. To create an image, a so-called scintigram, the patient is administered radioactively marked substances. These substances emit radiation and can then be detected by gamma camera in the corresponding organ or tissue. With the help of a radioactive substance, tissue or … Scintigraphy
Duration of a scintigraphy A scintigraphy can usually be performed very quickly. Depending on the type of tissue to be examined, the examination takes between 10 minutes and one hour. However, the duration of the preparation time is important. Since in an examination of the thyroid gland, medication for hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism must be discontinued, … Duration of a scintigraphy | Scintigraphy
Frequency distribution Since scintigraphy can provide information on most organ functions, it is very well suited as an imaging technique. In addition, the radiation exposure is lower than with X-rays. For this reason, around 60,000 scintigraphs are produced each week in Germany. Most of them are used to examine the thyroid gland. Diagnosis Scintigraphy can … Frequency distribution | Scintigraphy
Implementation Before the beginning of the scintigraphy no major preparations are usually necessary. However, depending on which organ/tissue is to be examined, certain guidelines can be made, so that the intake of medication may not always be continued or a fasting condition (especially in the case of examinations of the gastrointestinal tract) must be maintained. … Implementation | Scintigraphy
Radiation exposure Due to the use of modern radioactive materials with a fast decay time, the radiation exposure is relatively low. In everyday life, the body is exposed to a minimal natural radiation exposure, which is measured in Sievert and is about 0.2 mili Sievert, i.e. 2 thousandths of a Sievert. The radiation exposure depends … Radiation exposure | Scintigraphy
Contraindication There is no strict contraindication for a scintigraphy. Even in the case of pregnancy, this imaging procedure does not have to be dispensed with in principle, but should only be performed in extremely exceptional cases after thorough assessment of the indication. There is a relative contraindication for women who are in the breastfeeding phase, … Contraindication | Scintigraphy
Scintigraphy of the heart For the heart, the so-called myocardial scintigraphy, i.e. a depiction of the blood supply to the heart muscle, is most likely to be used.It is a special method used in special cases for patients with heart disease. The examination can be a guide in answering the question of whether some areas … Scintigraphy of the heart | Scintigraphy
Scintigraphy of the kidney There are also two different types of scintigraphy of the kidneys: Static renal scinitgraphy is used to visualize the functional kidney tissue. Technetium DMSA (dimercaptosuccinic acid) is usually used as the radioactive substance for this examination. It accumulates wherever living kidney tissue is present. This allows, for example, the detection of … Scintigraphy of the kidney | Scintigraphy
Scintigraphy of the bones Bone scintigraphy (also known as skeletal scintigraphy) can be used to visualize bone metabolism and identify areas of increased activity. Our bones are not lifeless scaffolds, but are subject to constant build-up and breakdown. For the scintigraphy of the bones, radioactively marked components of bone metabolism are used (diphosphonates). After injection … Scintigraphy of the bones | Scintigraphy
Scintigraphy in children A scintigraphy is always a certain stress for the body because there is radioactive material in the body and it interacts with it. Therefore, scintigraphy is often avoided in children. However, if there is a suspicion of child abuse, the scintigraphy can provide information. If a child is beaten, there are usually … Scintigraphy in children | Scintigraphy
