Uses of SPECT-CT :

Cardiology

• Myocardial perfusion Imaging (Stress MIBI, Rest MIBI)
• MUGA Scan
• First Pass Studies

Neurology

• Technetium DTPA RENOGRAM
• DMSA Scan
• Captopril Renogram
• Direct/Indirect Radionuclide Cystogram

Different Types of SPECT SCAN :

Thyroid scan (Tc-99m)

A thyroid scan uses a radioactive tracer and a special camera to measure how much tracer the thyroid gland absorbs from the blood. The tracer can be swallowed or can be injected into a vein. It travels through your body, giving off radiation signals. The camera "sees" the signals and can measure how much tracer the thyroid absorbs from the blood. A thyroid scan can show the size, shape, and location of the thyroid gland . It can also find areas of the thyroid gland that are overactive or underactive. The camera takes pictures of the thyroid gland from three different angles. The radioactive tracer used in this test is technetium. Before a thyroid scan, blood tests are usually done to measure the amount of thyroid hormones (TSH, T3, and T4) in your blood.

DTPA SCAN

DTPA scan is a radioactive tagged RENAL SCAN used to test the function of kidneys as well as find out if the problem is related to the obstruction of the urine flow in the ureters / bladder. It can also be used for checking circulation of blood through arteries of the kidney as well reflux of urine from bladder back into ureters. In summary it is a test for functional evaluation in comparison to ultrasound which is a test for structural evaluation and in combination can provide both functional and structural evaluation of kidneys and the urinary tract. In context of mild hydronephrosis and duplicate collecting system DTPA scan will be useful to find out if there is any obstruction in the urinary system on left side to explain for the mild hydronephrosis. DTPA is also a good test to follow up, improvement in kidney function following specific treatment.

DMSA scan

A DMSA scan is a radionuclide scan that uses dimercaptosuccinic acid (as a radioactive tracer) in assessing renal morphology, structure (static scan), and function. It is sometimes used as a test for the diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis. The major clinical indications for this investigation are the detection and/or evaluation of a renal scar, the small or absent kidney (renal agenesis), an occult duplex system, certain renal masses, systemic hypertension or suspected vasculitis.

BONE SCAN

A bone scan is a test that can find damage to the bones, find cancer that has spread to the bones, and watch problems such as infection and trauma to the bones. A bone scan can often find a problem days to months earlier than a regular X-ray test. During a bone scan, a radioactive substance called a tracer is injected into a vein in your arm. The tracer travels through your bloodstream and into your bones. Then a special camera takes pictures of the tracer in your bones. Areas that absorb little or no amount of tracer appear as dark or "cold" spots. This could show a lack of blood supply to the bone or certain types of cancer. Areas of fast bone growth or repair absorb more tracer and show up as bright or "hot" spots in the pictures. Hot spots may point to problems such as arthritis, a tumor, a fracture, or an infection.
A bone scan is done to:

• Find bone cancer or determine whether cancer from another area, such as the breast, lung, kidney, thyroid gland , or prostate gland , has spread (metastasized) to the bone.
• Help diagnose the cause or location of unexplained bone pain, such as ongoing low back pain. A bone scan may be done first to help determine the location of an abnormal bone in complex bone structures such as the foot or spine. Follow-up evaluation then may be done with a computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
• Help diagnose broken bones, such as a hip fracture or a stress fracture, not clearly seen on X-ray.
• Find damage to the bones caused by infection or other conditions, such as Paget's disease.

HIDA SCAN

A hepatobiliary (HIDA) scan is an imaging procedure used to diagnose problems of the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts. For a HIDA scan, also known as cholescintigraphy and hepatobiliary scintigraphy, a radioactive tracer is injected into a vein in your arm. The tracer travels through your bloodstream to your liver, where the bile-producing cells take it up. The tracer then travels with the bile into your gallbladder and through your bile ducts to your small intestine. A nuclear medicine scanner (gamma camera) tracks the flow of the tracer from your liver into your gallbladder and small intestine and creates computer images.
A HIDA scan might help in the diagnosis of several diseases and conditions, such as:

• Gallbladder inflammation (cholecystitis)
• Bile duct obstruction
• Congenital abnormalities in the bile ducts, such as biliary atresia
• Postoperative complications, such as bile leaks and fistulas
• Assessment of liver transplant