special subjects
Radionuclide Scanning
Variations of Radionuclide Scanning
SPECT is similar to computed tomography but uses radionuclide gamma rays rather than x-rays. For SPECT, the person lies on a motorized table. A rotating gamma camera takes images from many different angles (tomograms), each representing a slice of the body, and a computer is used to construct them into 2- and 3-dimensional images. These images help doctors more precisely locate structures and abnormalities. Depending on the area being evaluated, people may be asked to restrict what they eat or drink before the test. The test usually takes 30 to 90 minutes. 