Cardiothoracic nuclear medicine procedures include stress myocardial perfusion imaging, utilizing state-of-the-art gamma cameras used exclusively for imaging of the heart, as well as gated blood pool imaging for the evaluation of ventricular contractility. Lung ventilation/perfusion imaging is utilized for the diagnosis of pulmonary thrombo-embolic disease.
The division performs all radionuclide gastrointestinal tract procedures, notably hepatobiliary imaging (HIDA) for the evaluation of cholecystitis, biliary obstruction, bile leaks, as well as gallbladder contractility evaluation. GI bleeding detection studies are also performed, as well as tomographic liver (SPECT) imaging for evaluation of liver masses. Salivary gland imaging is also offered.
Radionuclide evaluation of kidney disorders include renal function assessment (split function), lasix washout analysis and renal transplant evaluation.
Benign and malignant bone diseases are studied in the division. These include whole body bone imaging for the assessment of bony metastases, so-called three-phase bone scans for sports medicine (fracture evaluation), and other benign disorders such as bone infection, metabolic bone diseases, and reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Another tool utilized for bone infection, or infection involving any organ system, is the use of radiolabeled white blood cell scans. Bone mineral density measurements are performed utilizing a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanner.
The Nuclear Medicine Division at Jefferson is a major referral center for most endocrine disorders, benign and malignant. These include thyroid imaging, thyroid cancer whole body surveillance imaging, parathyroid scanning, adrenal imaging (I-123 MIBG), and somatostatin receptor tumor imaging, i.e. Octreoscan. Radioiodine therapy is performed for the treatment of both hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer.
The most commonly performed examination for the oncology patient is positron emission tomography (PET), an imaging study that uses radiolabeled glucose metabolism in malignant cells for the diagnosis, staging, and re-staging of tumors, and for monitoring of therapy. The division uses a state-of-the-art PET scanner that is combined with a CT scanner i.e. PET/CT. Other oncologic procedures include sentinel lymph node mapping in patients with breast cancer and melanoma, neuroendocrine tumor imaging with Octreoscan and radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of chemotherapy-refractory Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Neurologic nuclear imaging procedures include tomographic brain blood flow imaging (SPECT), metabolic brain evaluation in dementia and seizure disorders utilizing PET/CT, as well as cerebral spinal imaging for cerebral spinal fluid leakage and brain shunt evaluation.