1 What is the purpose of radiopharmaceutical therapy? In sufficient dosages, radiation will kill cells. In many cases, radiation can be delivered directly to sites of disease with external beam techniques. An alternative means of delivering radiation to sites of…
1 What radiotracers are available for functional brain scintigraphy? There are currently two single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) radiotracers that are available to evaluate general brain function by measuring cerebral blood flow (CBF): technetium-99m ( 99m Tc) ethylcysteinate dimer…
1 How do you prepare a patient for stress myocardial perfusion imaging (SMPI)? Patients should be informed that the test takes approximately one half day and consists of two parts: a resting part and a stress part. The placement of…
1 What should patients know about renal scintigraphy, and what preparation should they be given? In general, there is little in the way of patient preparation for a renal scan, although patients should be well hydrated. Patients should refrain from…
1 What patient preparation is required before thyroid scintigraphy? Patients should fast after midnight or, at a minimum, for 4 hours before receiving the radioactive iodine-123 ( 123 I) pill to maximize absorption through the gut. Patients should also avoid…
1 How would you describe and prepare a patient for a ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scan? A V/Q scan takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes and consists of two parts. During the ventilation part, the patient will have a face mask placed…
1 What should patients know about a bone scan? A bone scan (i.e., bone scintigraphy) requires the intravenous injection of a small amount of a radioactive tracer (e.g., technetium-99m [ 99m Tc] methylene diphosphonate [MDP]) that is adsorbed into the…
1 What are some applications of 18 F-fluoro-2-deoxy-2-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) in the nononcological setting? For the answer, see Box 77-1 . The applications in nononcological cardiac and brain disorders will be discussed separately in Chapters 82…
1 What is 18 F-fluoro-2-deoxy-2-D-glucose (FDG)? FDG is the most widely used radiotracer for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and was first tested in humans in 1976. Its utility is based on the Warburg effect (described in the late 1920s…
1 What are some common image-guided musculoskeletal interventional procedures? Musculoskeletal radiology is a subspecialty that encompasses many diagnostic and therapeutic procedures using image guidance. Some common ultrasonography-guided (US-guided) procedures in musculoskeletal radiology include: joint injections, tendon sheath injections, calcific tendinosis…