Scintigraphy is an imaging method used in the field of nuclear medicine to diagnose a person and evaluate the response to treatment. Very low levels of radioactive substances are administered to the patient intravenously, orally or by inhalation. These application methods are generally safe, painless, and have very low side effect profiles and allergy risks.
In this application, the radioactive amounts given to the body are at low levels that will not harm the person, while some chemical drugs (radiopharmaceuticals) associated with this condition are connected and organs and tissues are visualized and examined.
What Does Scintigraphy Do?
It is generally used to obtain detailed information about the functions and structure of body structures that cannot be reached with different imaging techniques. It is useful in diagnosing various types of cancer, neurological diseases, cardiovascular diseases, digestive system diseases (gastrointestinal) and hormone diseases (endocrinal) that may occur in the body with the applied imaging technique. It is also used in the treatment of certain types of cancer such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and thyroid cancer.
How is scintigraphy performed?
A very small amount of radioactive material is given to people through different routes (mouth, vein or breath), and then 2 or 3-dimensional images of the organs are obtained with the help of a device called a gamma camera and the shooting process is performed.
In the imaging method performed by nuclear medicine technologists, there are some situations that healthcare professionals and the patient should do or are asked to do by the patient. These are as follows:
- Before the application, the person should not have any accessories and an apron should be worn
- The patient is usually lying on a table. The nurse or technician administers the radiopharmaceuticals to the patient via vein, mouth or inhalation
- Observe the chemicals and wait for them to spread to the applied area
- Radioactive substances are detected by gamma cameras and the process is completed
- The patient may be asked to remain still during the shoot
- After the shooting process is over, the images are examined. Afterwards, it can be done again to clarify some areas
- The procedures to be carried out after the shooting are conveyed to the person and if there is no contrary situation seen by the expert, the person can be told to continue their normal life.
What are the Types of Scintigraphy?
Imaging methods are named according to the tissues and organs to which they are applied. Since it is a detailed imaging technique, it allows it to be applied in sensitive areas in the body.
Heart Scintigraphy
By examining the blood level in the heart, the condition of vascular blockage called coronary artery disease is observed. This imaging technique is applied in two parts. In the first technique, blood movements are observed after the person is under stress, while in the second step, blood movements are observed after the person rests and rests. These two conditions are examined and compared.
Thyroid Scintigraphy
It is used to examine the patient after a doctor's examination or to examine the differences detected in the laboratory test. It is also used to observe and determine the working status of the thyroid.
Bone Scintigraphy
This method is used to determine the spread of certain problems in the bones (bending, calcification, cancer) to other areas and the possibility of cancer formation.
Kidney (Renal) Scintigraphy
It is used to monitor kidney function and functional problems that may occur in the kidney structure. This process may vary from person to person.
Lung Scintigraphy
It is usually used to diagnose pulmonary embolism. It is applied to see whether there is any blockage in the arteries that deliver blood to the lungs and to see the condition of the lung.
When are scintigraphy results available?
It is a method applied in making a diagnosis or determining a different disease state. The radiologist or doctor, who has received special training in this field, evaluates and examines this situation as a result of imaging. Afterwards, a written report is produced. The results are usually reported to the person within a few hours or on the same day after the procedure.
What are the Side Effects of Scintigraphy?
In this application, which is performed using advanced technology methods, there is no situation that harms the person. The fact that it is performed by trained specialists ensures the reliability of the application. There are no side effects in the long term.
Since the level of radioactive material applied during imaging is very low, healthy organs and tissues are not affected. Excretion of radioactive substances and special medicines from the body takes place in a short period of time and no harm is seen. In these cases, allergic conditions, which may occur rarely, disappear in a short time.
Since the patient remains immobilized during the imaging method applied, it may cause some cramps or pain. Although these effects are temporary, the person may experience dizziness if he/she stands up suddenly. The patient should get up from the table slowly and with rest as recommended.
Medicines given to investigate heart disease and blood vessels may speed up the heart rhythm. This condition returns to normal after the patient rests and rests. There is nothing to panic about. In addition, pregnancy is not recommended for women for about 6 months after the application of this method.
What to do before scintigraphy
There are some conditions that need to be checked and done before the imaging method is applied. The things to be done before the scintigraphy method can be listed as follows:
- The person's hunger status is checked. Before the examinations for the heart, the patient should take a break from eating and drinking for approximately 5-6 hours.
- The specialist is informed whether the patient is taking any medication continuously. The patient is also asked to stop taking medication for a while.
- If imaging and examination will be performed for the kidneys and bone structure, the patient is asked to consume plenty of fluids beforehand.
- The patient should prefer and wear loose and wide clothes.
- 2 days in advance, the patient should stop consuming foods containing sugar and fat.
- If there are any tests performed on the patient within a short period of time, the patient should inform the specialist.
Since the imaging methods to be applied for all organs or tissues in the body are not the same, there may be differences in this process.
Why is Scintigraphy Method Needed?
With the use of advanced technology methods, this application is useful in determining any negative conditions and diseases that may occur in the patient's organs or tissues. This method, which can be applied to all organs in the body, is also used in cases where treatment is inadequate.
It is also used to detect and treat adverse conditions and risks that may occur on tissues such as the brain, heart and vascular systems, gastrointestinal (digestive) system and thyroid. Information is obtained about the function and condition of the organ. With this method, the disease is detected in a short time and the treatment process is started. In this way, the progression of the disease is prevented. It is known that early diagnosis saves lives in some serious and important diseases. Negative situations that may occur with this method are determined.
For Which Diseases Is Scintigraphy Used?
In some cases, a person feels some symptoms. In such cases, the person who sees a specialist doctor is examined. This method is applied if deemed necessary by the doctor and in some diseases. With the question "For which diseases is the scintigraphy method used?" , which is frequently asked by people, the diseases in which this method is used are as follows:
Endocrine: This method is used to determine goiter or thyroid disorders. The growth of nodes and glands in the region can be easily seen. It is also used to detect conditions that may pose a risk of cancer.
Infection: It is used to find out the cause of a virus or microbe that has spread to a certain area or body.
Gastrointestinal System: It is used to determine organ and tissue disorders in some functional disorders in the digestive system and side effects seen after surgical operations.
Genitourinary System: It is used to determine the problems and insufficiency in the functions of the kidneys.
Cardiovascular System: This method, which helps the specialist in determining heart and vascular problems, enables the determination of vascular occlusion and problems in heart valves.
Musculoskeletal System: It is used for diseases that occur as a result of situations such as bumps and impacts, which are more common in people who are engaged in physical activities and individuals who do sports. It is also used to determine the risk and presence of cancer in the bone structure.
Pulmonary System: It is used to examine the lung structure and functional status. It is used to determine any negativity or cancer that may occur in this region.
Central Nervous System: It is used to evaluate brain functions and to detect certain disorders in this region. Conditions such as Alzheimer's and dementia, which are more common in advanced ages, are also detected.
Oncology: This method, which is useful in determining the diseases that may occur in the lymph, is also necessary to detect the conditions of skin, prostate and breast cancers.
Types of Cancer Most Commonly Used in Bone Scintigraphy
Themost common types of cancer for which bone scintigraphy is used are prostate, breast, lung and bone cancer types (Osteosarcoma, Ewing Sarcoma, Osteoid Osteoma and primary bone cancer).
How is Bone Scintigraphy Performed?
There is no preliminary preparation required in this process. The hunger status of the person is not important. After the radiopharmaceutical substance, which is active in the imaging of the bones, is administered to the patient intravenously, it is waited for about 2-3 hours for the drug to spread. The whole body is scanned. During the waiting period, the patient is asked to drink plenty of fluids and urinate, which improves the quality of the image.