Scintigraphy is an imaging examination procedure. It can be used to take images of organs, body parts or even the whole body. The procedure is based on the administration of radioactive substances that are metabolized in the body. Using a special camera, organs, tissue and bones can be imaged in detail.
Here you will find further information and selected scintigraphy specialists and centers.
The prerequisite for a scintigraphic image is the administration of a so-called radiodiagnostic agent. This is a low-level radioactive marker that is usually bound to a so-called tracer. Among others, radioactive thallium, iodine or xenon are used.
The radiodiagnostic agent is administered by injection, sometimes also by inhalation or swallowing.
The radioactive radiation emitted by the marker inside the body can be recorded using a gamma camera. The resulting data is processed by a computer to produce a two- or three-dimensional image.
In principle, the radioactive marker bound to the tracer is distributed throughout the body via the blood vessels. It can also be distributed via the respiratory flow in the lungs. This makes it possible to visualize the blood flow in parts of the body (or the ventilation of the lungs).
Specialized tracers are used for most target organs, which are preferentially absorbed by these organs. For example
Pure radioactive iodine accumulates in the thyroid gland after some time.
Target organs for scintigraphy include
The scintigraphy performed is named according to the target organ. Depending on the procedure and tracer used, the following can also be used
may also be used. In contrast to X-ray images, which primarily depict static structures, scintigraphic images can provide information about dynamic processes in the body. For example:
In this way
can be diagnosed.
Whole-body scintigraphy of a patient (lesion in the skull)
Scintigraphy can usually provide informative answers to many diagnostic questions in conjunction with other examination procedures. The areas of application of the procedure are correspondingly diverse. In the case of abnormal ultrasound findings, palpation findings and thyroid hormone findings, the thyroid gland can be tested for
If suspected, a bone or skeletal scintigraphy can detect tumors .
Pulmonary scintigraphy can confirm or refute the suspicion of a pulmonary embolism. This is a double examination consisting of ventilation scintigraphy and normal perfusion scintigraphy. This allows the ventilation and perfusion of the lungs to be visualized in equal measure.
Renal scintigraphy can
Myocardial scintigraphy can clarify the blood flow conditions in the heart and the health of the heart muscle. It is carried out
In the digestive tract, a scintigraphy can
In the case of unclear cognitive deficits, perceptual or movement disorders, brain scintigraphy can
Scintigraphy is used in tumor diagnostics
A scintigraphy is usually performed on an outpatient basis. Depending on the organ that is to be imaged, you will receive instructions in advance on any dietary requirements you may need to follow. Your doctor will also inform you whether you may need to stop taking medication for a few days.
On the day of the examination, the radiodiagnostic agent is usually injected into a vein in your arm. This is comparable to a vaccination. For a lung ventilation or inhalation scintigraphy, you inhale a gaseous radiodiagnostic agent. In the case of an esophageal or gastric scintigraphy, you swallow a liquid or a kind of gruel.
You will most likely not feel anything from the spread of the radiodiagnostic agent in your body. Hypersensitivity reactions to one of the tracers used occur very rarely (in about one in 100,000 cases). This can lead to circulatory problems.
During most scintigraphic examinations, you will lie or sit still for 30 to 60 minutes while the gamma camera takes the actual images. Myocardial scintigraphy usually includes an exercise test. This involves cycling on an exercise bike.
In addition to the use of the correct tracer, the timing of the images is important for scintigraphic diagnostics: After injection of the radiodiagnostic agent, the marker is expected to appear at certain times in certain organs. The marker appears first in the blood, then in the liver and finally in the gallbladder.
It is therefore not uncommon for scintigraphic examinations to involve a fairly long waiting time before the images are taken. You can spend this time in the radiology practice or clinic doing something of your choice.
Once the examination is complete, you can usually go home straight away. Your ability to drive and your general state of health are usually not affected by the procedure.
Scintigraphy of a thyroid gland
Scintigraphy is a well-established diagnostic procedure. Nevertheless, the associated radiation effects should not be neglected. Therefore, scintigraphy is generally not performed on pregnant or breastfeeding women. In children, the benefits and risks must be weighed up carefully. In adults, scintigraphy is considered to be low-risk overall.
However, doctors have reported considerable cumulative doses in certain patient groups. The radiation doses from several scintigraphies, as well as X-rays and CT scans, add up. Heart patients and kidney transplant patients in particular are affected by many examinations. Some often receive so many examinations over a few years that the radiation exposure adds up to over 100 millisieverts. This is a value that indisputably increases the risk of cancer.
Here too, however, the risks and benefits must be weighed up: The failure of a kidney transplant is immediately life-threatening. Moreover, tumor diseases usually develop very slowly. Therefore, the cancer risk of radiological cardiac diagnostics plays a lesser role, especially in advanced age. However, the immediate benefits can be considerable.
The radioactive substances used for scintigraphy are weak emitters with a half-life of around six hours. After this time, their radiation activity is halved. This means that after one day it has dropped to one sixteenth of the original value and is therefore barely detectable.
The radiation dose to which patients are exposed in the course of a typical scintigraphic examination is
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