Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicine at our facility uses radioactive isotopes for precise diagnosis across various conditions:

• Cardiology: Diagnosis of heart diseases.
• Endocrinology: Assessment of thyroid and other endocrine disorders.
• Orthopedics: Comprehensive bone scans including total body evaluations.
• Urology: Detailed renal and genital system scans.
• Gastroenterology: Diagnostic procedures for stomach, digestive tract, liver, and bile duct conditions.
• Oncology: Cancer diagnostics.
• Pulmonology: Lung perfusion and ventilation scans for pulmonary conditions.
• Ophthalmology: Scans for lacrimal duct obstructions.

Endocrinology: Scans for parotid gland and other diseases.

What is PET/CT?
PET/CT combines Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Computed Tomography (CT) to provide both metabolic and anatomical insights in a single session, facilitating comprehensive cancer diagnosis and management.

Differences between PET alone and PET/CT:
While PET identifies metabolic activity and tumor sites, PET/CT enhances localization accuracy and speeds up the scanning process, making it ideal for claustrophobic patients.

Applications of PET/CT:

• Oncology: Used in diagnosis, staging, and monitoring treatment response.
• Cardiology: Assists in identifying viable cardiac tissues post-myocardial infarction.
• Neurology: Precise localization of epileptic foci and early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Radiotherapy Planning with PET/CT:
PET/CT-guided radiotherapy planning is a standard practice globally, allowing for targeted tumor irradiation while sparing healthy tissues.

Procedure for PET/CT Scans:
Patients undergo a contrast agent injection followed by a resting period to enhance uptake before scanning, which lasts between 35 to 45 minutes.

Advantages of PET/CT:

• Enables early and accurate detection of tumors.
• Improves detection of cancer recurrences.
• Offers superior image quality and resolution.
• Reduces scanning time, enhancing patient comfort.
• Allows for more effective irradiation of tumors previously treated with radiotherapy, preserving surrounding healthy tissue.