About Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear medicine exams image bodily function rather than anatomy.
They can be useful in finding problems that are not obvious by looking at the structure of an organ or tissue. This is done with the use of small amounts of radioactive materials, also known as tracers. Each tracer is designed to be attracted to specific organs or types of body tissue. Special cameras that can map the distribution of the radioactive tracer create images which are studied by radiologists.
Nuclear medicine scans are very safe. Nuclear medicine has been used in newborns and children for more than four decades and even longer in adults. There are no known long-term adverse effects from such low-dose exams.
About Thyroid Uptake and Scan
A thyroid uptake and scan, also known as a radioactive iodine uptake test (RAIU), is a nuclear medicine exam in which the patient receives an oral dose of a radioactive iodine that is absorbed by thyroid tissue. The amount of radioactivity taken up by the thyroid is measured and images of the thyroid are also obtained. Thyroid uptake scans are used to measure thyroid function, to determine if there are any nodules present, or to determine the degree of function in known nodules.
Exam Locations
The exam is performed at the following Radiology Imaging Associates partner hospitals in the Denver, Colorado area:
- Medical Center of Aurora
- Littleton Adventist Hospital
- Porter Adventist Hospital
- Sky Ridge Medical Center
- Swedish Medical Center