Nuclear Medicine is the medical specialty that offers diagnostic and therapeutic approaches using radioactive substances/radiopharmaceuticals. Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine tests (scintigrams) contribute to the functional imaging of various organs in the body through a detection by a γ-camera of the radiation emitted by the radionuclide after it is administered to the patient intravenously. Essentially, it is “intra-radiological imaging” as it records the radiation emitted from within the patient’s body and not the radiation produced by external sources, such as X-rays. The imaging can be planar (2-dimensional), tomographic (SPECT), or tomographic in combination with anatomical imaging (SPECT/CT).
The Department of Nuclear Medicine of Nicosia General Hospital, is fully equipped with 2 state-of-the-art γ-cameras, which provide the possibility of scintigraphy imaging of patients with planar, SPECT and SPECT-CT. It offers services related to a wide range of imaging examinations (scintigraphy) and treatment with I – 131, in patients with differentiated cancer or hyperthyroidism:
Α. Imaging examinations:
1) Cardiovascular system examinations: 1. Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy with radioactive TI-201 chloride, Tc99m-Tetrofosmin and Tc99m-MIBI 2. Radioisotopic Ventriculography (MUGA scan) with radiolabelled red blood cells. 3. Scintigraphy with Tc99m DPD for cardiac amyloidosis.
2) Urinary tract examinations: 1.Dynamic renal scintigraphy with Tc99m-DTPA and Tc99m-MAG3 2. Static renal scintigraphy with Tc99m-DMSA 3. Radioisotopic cystography
3) Endocrine gland examinations with: 1. Thyroid gland scintigraphy with Tc99m 2. Parathyroid gland scintigraphy with Tc99m-MIBI 3. Thyroid / parathyroid gland scintigraphy – with Tc99m/Tc99m- Tetrofosmin processed using the subtraction method. 4. Full body scintigraphy with I – Tcm 131 5. Adrenal scintigraphy with I – 131 MIBG for paraganglioma, neuroblastoma, pheochromocytoma
4) Musculoskeletal examinations: 1. Full body bone scintigraphy with Tc99m-HDP 2. Three phase bone scintigraphy scan with Tc99m-HDP 3. Scintigraphy with Tc99m-Sulesomab (Leukoscan) to identify areas of inflammation / infection which are mainly musculoskeletal
5) Respiratory system examinations: 1. Tc99m-MAA lung perfusion scintigraphy 2. Tc99m-DTPA lung ventilation scintigraphy (aerosolised radionuclides)
6) Liver examinations with: 1. Tc99m-IDA (Radioisotope cholangiography) 2. Liver / spleen scintigraphy with Tc99m sulphur colloid 3. Liver scintigraphy with radiolabelled red blood cells for examination of haemangiomas
7) Gastrointestinal examinations: 1. Tc99m scintigraphy radiolabelled red blood cells to investigate gastrointestinal bleeding 2. Tc99m scintigraphy for Μeckel diverticulum
8) Lymphatic system examinations: 1. Tc99m-nanocoll scintigraphy for sentinel lymph node imaging 2. Radioisotopic lymphangiography with Tc99m nanocoll
9) Nervous system examinations: 1. Brain tomography with I – 123 loflupane (Datscan) 2. Brain tomography with Tc99m HMPAO
10) Neuroendocrine tumours examinations: 1. Imaging of somatostatin receptors with Tc99m Tektrotyde
B. Therapeutic applications using I – 131
1) I – 131 treatment of outpatients with differentiated thyroid cancer and hyperthyroidism 2) High dosage treatment of radioactive I – 131 treatment for patients that have been hospitalised with differentiated thyroid cancer.