Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicine is a safe, painless technique for showing the shape, structure, and function of organs (i.e. kidneys, thyroid, soft tissues, and bones) and diagnosing abnormalities therein. Nuclear scans are especially helpful in finding and treating defects in the structure of an organ (such as blockage), pockets of infection (abscesses), unsuspected fractures, degenerative change, or tumors. Nuclear medicine scans often can identify abnormalities very early in the progression of a disease, a time when there may be a more successful prognosis.

A nuclear bone scan is done to help diagnose subtle or hidden bone fractures, such as a stress fracture, that my not show up on a routine x-ray.

Bone scans can also help detect other conditions as well such as:

• Fractures
• Arthritis
• Paget's disease of the bone
• Bone tumors
• Infection of the joints, joint replacements or bone (osteomyelitis)
• Fibrous dysplasia
• Avascular necrosis or impaired bone blood supply
• Unexplained bone pain

Your doctor may order a bone scan to determine whether cancer, such as prostate, lung or breast cancer, has spread (metastasized) to bone.

Stress Tests (resting and non-resting) are also performed with the use of a nuclear medicine scan.

Please notify a member of UCI's staff if there is a chance you may be pregnant!