Radionuclide diagnostics consists of administering a radiochemical in the human body, which is spread by the body with the help of a gamma-ray detector. Registration of the space-time distribution allows diagnosing the disease. Today, this method of diagnosis with various success is widely used in many fields of medicine, including in oncology. Radionuclide diagnostics has indications and contraindications, which depend on which organ or is being examined.
Methods of radionuclide diagnostics
Depending on the purpose of conducting radionuclide diagnostics, as well as on the area in which it is used, various methods are used:
- Scintigraphy of various organs and systems, which is characterized by the fact that a radiopharmaceutical is used, and the type of diagnosis itself allows to obtain a two-dimensional image of the organ.
- Scintigraphy of the whole body in the "Whole body" mode, which displays the entire body in just one study, so this method is often used to detect cancer.
- Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), which makes it possible to evaluate the functioning of the tissues of any organ, due to the formation of images of the sections of the organ.
- Combining SPECT with computed tomography is the method that is the latest development in medicine. It differs in its specificity, that is, it allows the most accurate diagnosis of the disease.
Radionuclide Diagnosis in Cardiology
In modern medicine, radionuclide diagnosis of the heart is not uncommon. Doctors often use this method of research to diagnose various cardiovascular diseases. The indications are:
- evaluation of myocardial perfusion;
- confirmation of the need for surgical treatment of coronary heart disease;
- Evaluation of the impact of surgical myocardial revascularization and angioplasty;
- identification of cardiotoxic effects of chemotherapy;
- the need to diagnose myocardial infarction;
- evaluation of systolic and diastolic function of the heart.
Radionuclide diagnostics in oncology
To diagnose cancer and identify malignant tumors, one of the methods of radionuclide diagnostics is used, namely, scintigraphy of various organs, during which a radiopharmaceutical is introduced into the body. But even this does not allow to give high results, since the substances introduced are highly sensitive, which means that they can give a positive result even in the absence of oncology or, on the contrary, do not allow determining the anatomical region where the tumor develops.
Radionuclide diagnosis of the kidneys
Radionuclide diagnostics of the kidneys has the following indications:
- urinary syndrome;
- pain in the lower back;
- not pronounced swelling of the skin, especially on the face and legs.
- a trauma of kidneys and another.
The merit of this method is that it makes it possible to assess the condition and functionality of each kidney separately. Not every study provides this possibility.
The advantage of radionuclide diagnosis is a narrow range of contraindications, which only affects women. Research is prohibited to:
- future mothers;
- women during lactation;
- when menstruating.