Locations & Hours | Radiology Services & Procedures | Insurance Info | Policies & Payments Nuclear Medicine Nuclear medicine uses radioactive compounds called radiopharmaceuticals or tracers and special cameras called “gamma cameras’ to study many parts of the body. Tracers allow evaluation of the function of many of the body’s organs. They are injected into the body or administered orally or by inhalation. Once in the body, the compounds target a specific organ, pictures of which are then taken by the gamma camera. Following the tests, the radioactive compounds break down quickly and leave the body, the exact time of breakdown depending on the nature of the compound. Bone Scans Bone scans, one of the most common nuclear medicine tests, can evaluate fractures, infection, benign tumors, and cancer in bones. Ventilation-Perfusion Lung Scans Ventilation-Perfusion lung scans, or “V/Q” scans, can detect blood clots in the arteries supplying the lungs. The gamma camera takes pictures of the lungs first after the patient breathes a small amount of a gas containing a tracer and then after a technologist injects a small amount of tracer into a vein. Thyroid Scans Thyroid scans look for enlargement, masses, and overactivity in the thyroid gland. Nuclear Cardiology Nuclear Cardiology, also known as Cardiac Nuclear Medicine, determines how well the heart contracts, if there are areas in the heart that are permanently damaged from prior heart attacks, and if there are areas in the heart that are at risk of being damaged due to a lack of good blood flow. Specific radiopharmaceuticals can also treat several disorders including an overactive thyroid gland, certain thyroid cancers, polycythemia vera (a condition where there are too many red blood cells in the body), and can provide bone pain palliation in certain cancers.