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What is a DMSA scan? DMSA, or dimercaptosuccinic acid, is a radioactive compound (radiopharmaceutical) that when injected into a vein allows images or pictures to be taken of the kidneys. DMSA enters the kidneys and is concentrated in functioning/normal kidney tissue, giving an indication as to how the kidneys are working. It does not provide information as to the internal...
What is radiation - am I exposed to background radiation each day even if I do not have an X-ray examination? Background radiation - Background radiation refers to the ionising radiation from high energy particles or rays that we are unavoidably exposed to in our daily lives, which gives each of us a small but continuous dose of ionising radiation;...
What is a biliary drainage? Biliary drainage is the insertion of a tube into the bile duct. This is most commonly carried out when the bile ducts are blocked.The bile ducts normally allow bile (a green-brown fluid that is produced by the liver to help with the digestion of fats) to drain from the liver to the small intestine. When...
What is a nuclear medicine (NM) cardiac stress test? A nuclear medicine (NM) cardiac stress test assesses the blood supply to the heart and provides information about how the heart is working. Images (or pictures) are taken of the heart while at rest and after the heart is stressed. The stress is in the form of exercise on a treadmill...
What is a PET scan? PET stands for “positron emission tomography”. It is a nuclear medicine imaging test in which a small amount of liquid radioactive material is injected into your body and is used to diagnose a variety of diseases, including many types of cancers, heart disease and other diseases. The radioactive substance most commonly used in PET scanning...
What is a Nuclear Medicine VQ Scan? A ventilation–perfusion (VQ) scan is a nuclear medicine scan that uses radioactive material (radiopharmaceutical) to examine airflow (ventilation) and blood flow (perfusion) in the lungs. The aim of the scan is to look for evidence of any blood clot in the lungs, called pulmonary embolism (PE). A VQ scan is carried out in...
What is a coronary artery calcium scoring? A coronary artery calcium score is a measurement of the amount of calcium in the walls of the arteries that supply the heart muscle. It is measured by taking a special computed tomography (CT) scan of the heart. The scan shows the amount of hardening of the artery wall (the disease that causes...
A nuclear medicine renal scan is used to assess blood flow, function and drainage of the kidneys. The radiopharmaceutical is then injected into a vein and enters the kidneys. The radioactive component of the radiopharmaceutical emits gamma rays, which allows us to take pictures of your kidney using gamma cameras. The scan involves a small amount of radiation exposure, but...
What is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)? Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a scanning procedure that uses strong magnets and radiofrequency pulses to generate signals from the body. These signals are detected by a radio antenna and processed by a computer to create images (or pictures) of the inside of your body. The MRI scanner is generally shaped like a large,...
What is a bursal injection? A bursa is a soft tissue space between two structures, such as bone, muscle, tendon and skin, which allows the structures to slide over one another. Soft tissue, such as muscle, fat and skin, connects and surrounds the bones and internal organs of the body. The most commonly injected bursas are around the shoulder (subacromial...
What is an arthrogram? An arthrogram is an X-ray image or picture of the inside of a joint (e.g. shoulder, knee, wrist, ankle) after a contrast medium (sometimes referred to as a contrast agent or “dye”) is injected into the joint. An arthrogram provides a clear image of the soft tissue in the joint (e.g. ligaments and cartilage) so that...
What is a bone scan? A nuclear medicine bone scan shows the effects of injury or disease (such as cancer) or infection on the bones. A nuclear medicine bone scan also shows whether there has been any improvement or deterioration in a bone abnormality after treatment. A radioactive material (radiopharmaceutical) is injected into a vein, attaches to the bones and...
What is an ultrasound? Ultrasound is the term used for high-frequency soundwaves. Ultrasound examinations use these sound waves to produce a picture or image onto a screen showing the inside of your body. An ultrasound is carried out by a trained health professional (sonographer, radiologist or sonologist) using a smooth, hand-held device called a transducer that they move across the...
Interventional neuroradiology is a subspecialty of clinical radiology which involves using medical imaging tests in diagnosing and treating diseases of the central nervous system, head, neck and spine. Interventional neuroradiologists use cutting edge imaging and guidance techniques to guide catheters (very fine plastic tubes) and other tiny instruments around…
Health professional informationMusculoskeletal imaging is a subspecialty of diagnostic radiology which involves ordering and interpreting medical images of bones, joints and associated soft tissues and diagnosing injuries and disease. Musculoskeletal imaging radiologists use: ● X-rays/plain radiography; ● Fluoroscopy (a continuous X-ray that creates moving images of the functioning…
Health professional informationEmergency radiology is a subspecialty of diagnostic radiology. Emergency diagnostic radiologists are an integral part of a hospital’s emergency team and are directly involved in helping diagnose trauma patients. Emergency radiologists use a range of imaging techniques to diagnose: Body trauma Heart and lung (thoracic) trauma and conditions Injuries…
Health professional informationCardiac imaging is a subspecialty of diagnostic radiology. A cardiac radiologist supervises or performs and then interprets medical images to diagnose diseases of the heart such as heart disease, leaky heart valves and defects in the size and shape of the heart. A cardiac radiologist uses imaging techniques such as X-rays, ultrasound (echocardiograms), CT (computed…
Health professional informationAbdominal imaging is a subspecialty of diagnostic radiology which involves imaging the abdomen and pelvis, including the genitals, urinary organs and gastrointestinal tract, to diagnose and plan treatment for disease. Abdominal imaging radiologists use imaging to diagnose diseases of the: liver, bladder and kidneys prostate and uterus pancreas colon gallbladder…
Health professional informationWhat is an angioplasty and stent insertion? Angioplasty and stent insertion is used to treat narrowing in an artery. Angioplasty uses a small, sausage-shaped balloon to stretch the artery open and improve blood flow. The stent is a small, metal cylinder that acts like a small scaffold to hold the artery permanently open. Angioplasty is the name of the procedure...
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