Nuclear Medicine
Advanced Diagnostics at Fayette County Memorial Hospital
Click here for Nuclear Stress Test information.
Nuclear medicine imaging (also called radionuclide scanning) is an excellent
diagnostic tool because it shows not only the anatomy (structure) of an
organ or body part but the function of the organ as well. While nuclear
medicine images may show less detail (spatial resolution) than other types
of imaging, the functional information they provide can be valuable (and
in some cases, may not be available from other types of imaging). Nuclear
medicine is used mainly to allow visualization of organs and regions within
organs that cannot be seen on conventional x-ray images.
Nuclear medicine can show the function of a variety of organs and body
parts to diagnose a number of medical conditions including:
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Abdomen ~ to check for gastrointestinal bleeding
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Brain ~ to look for tumors or aneurysms (blood vessel disease) or evaluate stroke
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Blood ~ to test for various blood cell disorders
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Breast ~ to image breast cancers
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Hepatobiliary system ~ to check gallbladder and bile duct function
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Heart ~ to look for coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, valve disease
or heart attack; to detect heart transplant rejection; check the effectiveness
of bypass surgery; to select patients for angioplasty or bypass surgery
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Kidneys ~ to check renal function; to detect renal tumors; to test for renal transplant rejection
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Liver/spleen ~ to check for cirrhosis or metastatic cancer
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Lung ~ to check for pulmonary embolism (blood clot), check for lung transplant
rejection or test for smoke inhalation injury in burn patients
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Lymphatic system ~ to detect if cancer has spread to the lymph nodes
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Skeletal system ~ to check for metastatic cancer or to test for hidden bone trauma in
sports injuries
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Stomach ~ to check for stomach function and to confirm ulcers or cancer
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Thyroid and parathyroid ~ to check for tumor or abnormal function
For further information please call (740) 333-2962. Appointments are made
through central scheduling at (740) 333-2742. Reach out to our team at
Fayette County Memorial Hospital today!