liver and gallbladder disorders
Imaging Tests of the Liver and Gallbladder
Radionuclide (Radioisotope) Scanning
 Radionuclide Scanning uses a substance containing a radioactive tracer that, when injected intravenously, collects in a particular organ. The radioactivity is detected by a gamma-ray camera, which is positioned over the upper abdomen and is attached to a computer that generates an image. A liver scan uses a radioactive substance that collects in liver cells. (hepatobiliary scintigraphy or scan), another type of radionuclide imaging, follows the movement of a radioactive substance as it is secreted from the liver and passes into the gallbladder and through the bile ducts into the duodenum (the first segment of the small intestine). This technique, which is done after the person fasts, can detect a blocked cystic duct (the tube that joins the gallbladder to the major bile duct—see figure View of the Liver and Gallbladder ). Such a blockage indicates acute inflammation of the gallbladder ( 