Orange County Diagnostics has designed a state-of-the-art Nuclear Medicine Department featuring Siemens PET/CT and SPECT/CT. This cutting edge technology is now available at our Laguna Woods location, Monday - Friday, 8am - 4pm.

Nuclear Medicine uses a radiopharmaceutical to identify the biochemistry of internal organs. When injected into the body, the signals from these radioactive tracers are measured by a scanner to create images of tissue function. It is most useful in evaluating the function of the lungs, liver, spleen and gallbladder, as well as the metabolic activity in bones, which may indicate the presence of tumors or fractures.

PET/CT

PET (Positron Emission Tomography) and CT (Computed Tomography) are both standard imaging tools that physicians use to pinpoint disease states in the body. The PET scan demonstrates the biological function of the body often before anatomical changes take place, while the CT scan provides information about the body’s anatomy such as size, shape and location. By combining these two technologies, physicians can more accurately diagnose and identify cancer, heart disease and brain disorders.

Why Do I Need PET/CT?
PET/CT is a powerful imaging technique that holds great promise in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases, particularly cancer. A non-invasive test, PET/CT accurately images metabolic and anatomic information in the human body in a single scan. This allows your physician to examine your entire body at once. PET/CT provides a more complete picture, making it easier for your doctor to diagnose problems, determine the extent of disease, prescribe treatment, and track progress.

About the Scan
You will receive an intravenous injection of a radioactive tracer and will rest quietly for approximately 30 - 45 minutes while the tracer is distributed throughout your body. You will then be asked to lie on a table that passes slowly through the scanner. The CT portion of the test sends x-rays through the body that are processed to show the body structure. The PET portion of the test produces a whole body map of the tracer distribution. The scanning process takes less than 30 minutes.

Preparing For Your Scan

• Do not eat or drink anything except water for 4-6 hours before your test
• Wear comfortable clothing free of metal zippers, buttons, snaps or pins.
• Take any prescribed medication unless instructed otherwise
• Notify your physician if you are pregnant, breast feeding or are diabetic.

After the PET/CT Examination
It is important that you drink as much fluid as possible for the remainder of the day and empty your bladder as often as possible – as long as this does not affect any other instructions that you have been given by your doctor. This will result in a more rapid clearance of the radioactive tracer from your body.

Over the next few hours, the small amount of the radioactive tracer, which has been administered to you, breaks down and leaves the body naturally through your bladder.

You can drive and resume normal activities immediately after leaving the PET/CT center, unless you have received sedation. The final results will be given to your referring physician as soon as the images are analyzed.

SPECT/CT

Why do I need a SPECT/CT scan?
A SPECT/CT scan provides your doctor with information that may help to specify and improve any treatment that you require and possibly even reduce the risk of surgical procedures.

SPECT/CT gives information about your body that is not available with other imaging methods such as an x-ray, CT, or MRI. SPECT scans show cellular function and CT scans show anatomical details. Together these provide valuable information that will assist your physician with a diagnosis.

As the name implies, this examination combines two scanning techniques – SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography), which shows different functions in the body, and CT (Computed Tomography), which shows detailed structural anatomy – into one. The result of this combination is that doctors are now able to get highly defined 3D images from the inside of the human body with only one system. It combines both functional and anatomical information into one single scan, so your doctor will be able to determine its function status and pinpoint the exact location, size, nature, and extent of a disease -anywhere in the body.

Preparing for the SPECT•CT Examination
When you schedule, you will be given instructions as far as eating and drinking. It is usually requested no food or drink 4–6 hours before your exam. Notify your physician if you are pregnant, breast feeding, or diabetic. For most tests, you can continue your regular work schedule and lifestyle. Many people drive themselves to their appointment.

The majority of SPECT/CT examinations require only a small injection into the vein to administer the radionuclide. If you have a thyroid exam you will get a pill, not an injection. If you have a heart examination, you have to undergo a stress test. This is a “routine” or “standard” treadmill exercise. Wear comfortable clothing. Take any prescribed medication, unless instructed otherwise.

During the Examination
Simply relax and follow the technologist’s instructions. Your only participation will be to remain as still as possible during the exam and breathe normally. Movement of the body while the pictures are being taken may require the scan to be repeated. The technologist will keep you informed about what is going on during the examination.

The SPECT/CT imaging procedure takes approximately thirty minutes. When it is time for the examination, you will lie down on the padded examination table with the SPECT/CT detector over the body region being evaluated. The SPECT/CT camera, capable of imaging the areas of your body where the radiopharmaceutical has accumulated, will be moved close to you. The closer the camera is to your body, the better the images will be. The scanner bed may move into the scanner for a short time, during which you will hear some noise coming from the system. This will complete the CT portion of the exam.

Once you are finished the technologist will create images from the information acquired by the SPECT/CT camera. A complete written report will be sent to your doctor. Because your doctor knows you and your medical condition and history, he can discuss the results with you in a more meaningful fashion.

After the SPECT•CT Examination
You are able to return to your normal daily routine after the test – there are no known side-effects of the small amount of radiopharmaceutical material, so you will feel perfectly normal. Likewise, the amount is so small that there are no restrictions on your being around other people. It is important that you drink as much liquid as possible for the remainder of the day.