Albany Advanced Imaging is pleased to offer the first truly integrated outpatient nuclear medicine facility in the Capital District. Patients with complex medical problems often require a combined approach to accurate diagnosis, utilizing two or even three different types of imaging examinations. Our radiologists are experienced in all phases of diagnostic imaging, thereby able to fully synthesize information from any and all prior imaging modalities to optimize their interpretation of your nuclear scan.

Commonly, our examinations require intravenous injection of a small amount of a short-lived radioisotope, most often Technetium 99m. When chemically attached to carrier molecules of various types, this isotope can be directed to various parts of the body or to areas of potential disease. The increased activity in these areas of radiotracer accumulation (uptake) may be imaged by a special nuclear medicine device called a gamma camera. Specific nuclear medicine imaging examinations include skeletal imaging (bone scan), hepatobiliary (liver and bile duct) scanning, gastric emptying time, gallium scans, and renal (kidney) functional and anatomical imaging. In this way, your physician is able to glean physiologic (actual biochemical activity) information to complement the highly detailed anatomic images provided by MRI or CT scans.

There is a wide range of applications in skeletal nuclear medicine imaging. The radiotracer Tc99m-MDP is incorporated into areas of active bone turnover. By virtue of its sensitivity to the body’s repair of injured or diseased bone, skeletal imaging is useful for oncologic evaluation of possible tumor spread to bone, evaluation of stress fractures, detection of fractures not visible by routine X-rays, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, and in evaluation of possible osteomyelitis (infection of bone).

The radiotracer used in evaluating the biliary system is Tc99-DISIDA. It is taken up by the liver and excreted into the bile ducts. This allows visualization of radiotracer within the common bile duct and gallbladder. Hepatobiliary scanning is utilized for the evaluation of cholecystitis, common bile duct obstruction, and biliary leak. Gastric emptying study involves the ingestion of radio-labeled solid food, often eggs. This measures emptying of solid food from the stomach to determine the absence or presence of delayed gastric emptying.

Radio-labeled molecules that are excreted from the kidney, such as Tc99m-DTPA, are used to evaluate the distribution of blood flow to the kidneys and the adequacy of kidney function. This can be useful to evaluate various conditions such as renal artery narrowing (stenosis), disease intrinsic to the kidneys themselves, and certain forms of urinary tract obstruction. The anatomy of the kidney can also be evaluated using a molecule called DSMA. This can be helpful in assessing for the presence of scars of the kidneys.

Gallium scanning employs gallium-67 citrate, which accumulates in areas of inflammation or infection. This can be helpful in the evaluation of patients with fever of unknown origin. Gallium scanning has also been helpful in evaluation of the presence and distribution of lymphoma.

Please call us at 438-0600 for further information or to schedule your examination.