What is Nuclear Medicine?

Nuclear Medicine involves the administration of radiopharmaceuticals consisting of substances that are attracted to specific body tissues or cells and labeled with radioactive tracer. The heart, lungs, thyroid, liver, gallbladder and bones are commonly evaluated for particular conditions    using these techniques.  While anatomical detail is limited in these studies, nuclear medicine is   useful in displaying physiological function.  The excretory function of the kidneys, iodine concentrating ability of the thyroid, blood flow to heart muscle, etc. can be measured.  The principal imaging device is the gamma camera which does not produce radiation but instead detects the radiation emitted by the tracer in the body and displays it as an image.  With computer processing, the information can be displayed multiple angles (SPECT images).  In the most modern devices Nuclear Medicine images can be fused with a CT scan taken quasi -simultaneously so that the physiological information can be overlaid or co-registered with the anatomical structures to improve diagnostic accuracy.