Nuclear Medicine

Clinic Description

The Division of Nuclear Medicine provides scans of organs and body systems, including positron emission tomography (PET). Routine tests include but are not limited to the brain, cerebrospinal fluid, thyroid, lung, liver, biliary system, kidney, and bone. Other studies, such as radionuclide cystograms, testicular scintigrams, detection of gastrointestinal bleeding, patency tests for CSF shunts, Leveen shunts, venograms, gallium and white blood cell scans are also available on both inpatient and outpatient basis. The division also offers gastroenterological function testing for gastroesophageal reflux, gastric emptying and esophageal transit time measurement. Nuclear Medicine has a Nuclear Cardiology section which performs all types of scintigraphy including myocardial perfusion tomography. The In Vitro Laboratory provides measurements of red cell mass and plasma volume, red cell and platelet survival, Schilling tests, thyroid uptake and renal global function evaluation, including both effective renal plasma flow and glomerular filtration rate. Iodine-131 therapy is available for hyperthyroidism (outpatients) and thyroid carcinoma (inpatients).