Nuclear medicine includes a series of different exams that utilizes very small amounts of radioactive material within the patient to generate images of the internal organs. Patients may swallow, receive an injection or inhale a small, safe dose of radioactive material that collects in the part of the body being examined. Special detectors track the material and together with computer technology, create the views that aid Inova doctors in diagnosis of different diseases and conditions.
These imaging procedures often identify abnormalities in the early stages of a disease long before many medical problems are apparent with other diagnostic tests. Nuclear medicine is sometimes used for thyroid therapies and certain cancer treatment therapies.
