Diagnostic Procedure
radionuclide imaging
ra·di·o·nu·clide imaging [ rey-dee-oh-noo-klahyd, -nyoo- im-uh-jing ]
Subclass of:
Diagnostic Techniques, Radioisotope;
Diagnostic Imaging
Also called:
Radioisotope scans; Radionuclide scans
Definitions related to radionuclide imaging:
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(scintigraphy) A diagnostic technique based on the detection of energy emitted by radioactive substances injected into the body; also called radionuclide scanning.Harvard Dictionary of Health TermsHarvard Medical Publishing, 2011
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(scintigraphy) A procedure that produces pictures (scans) of structures inside the body, including areas where there are cancer cells. Scintigraphy is used to diagnose, stage, and monitor disease. A small amount of a radioactive chemical (radionuclide) is injected into a vein or swallowed. Different radionuclides travel through the blood to different organs. A machine with a special camera moves over the person lying on a table and detects the type of radiation given off by the radionuclides. A computer forms an image of the areas where the radionuclide builds up. These areas may contain cancer cells.NCI Dictionary of Cancer TermsU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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(nuclear scans) Nuclear scans use radioactive substances to see structures and functions inside your body. They use a special camera that detects radioactivity. Before the test, you receive a small amount of radioactive material. You may get it as an injection. Sometimes you swallow it or inhale it. Then you lie still on a table while the camera makes images. Most scans take 20 to 45 minutes. Nuclear scans can help doctors diagnose many conditions, including cancers, injuries, and infections. They can also show how organs like your heart and lungs are working.MedlinePlusU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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An imaging technique that uses a small dose of a radioactive chemical (isotope) called a tracer that can detect sites of cancer growth, trauma, infection or degenerative disorders. The tracer, which is either injected into a vein or swallowed, travels through the bloodstream to the target organ, and emits gamma rays, which are detected by a gamma camera and analyzed by a computer to form an image of the target organ.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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The production of an image obtained by cameras that detect the radioactive emissions of an injected radionuclide as it has distributed differentially throughout tissues in the body. The image obtained from a moving detector is called a scan, while the image obtained from a stationary camera device is called a scintiphotograph.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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Radionuclide scanning uses the radiation released by radionuclides (called nuclear decay) to produce images. A radionuclide is an unstable isotope that becomes more stable by releasing energy as radiation. This radiation can include gamma-ray photons or particulate emission (such as positrons, used in positron emission tomography).Merck & Co., Inc., 2020
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