Nuclear Medicine

We use small amounts of radioactive materials to examine organs and tissue.

What we do

Nuclear medicine is a way to examine organs and tissue and see how they are working.

It uses a small amount of radioactive material called radiotracers or radiopharmaceuticals and a radiation detector.

Nuclear medicine is used to assess heart disease, how well your brain, lungs and thyroid are functioning as well as where a tumor is located and how it’s changing.

This material is either inhaled, swallowed, or injected into the body before the exam. Once inside, it collects in the part of the body being studied. Different types of radioactive materials are used depending on the exam.

After the material gets to the right spot, it gives off energy in the form of gamma rays. Gamma cameras and computers then make images of the inside of the organ or tissue.

It can take a few minutes to several days between the time you get the radioactive material and the time the images are taken.

Nuclear medicine imaging provides unique information that other imaging methods cannot provide, helping physicians identify disease in the earliest stages.

At our Joint Department of Medical Imaging, we have advanced systems that can perform nuclear medicine imaging and computed tomography (CT) scans at the same time. This lets us combine information from two different tests into one image, giving us more accurate details and better diagnoses.

Nuclear medicine also offers therapeutic procedures, like radioactive iodine, which uses a small amount of radioactive material to treat thyroid gland medical conditions and cancer.

Nuclear medicine examinations are safe and usually non-invasive, meaning they don’t require surgery.

We offer the following types of nuclear medicine:

Biliary scan
Bone scan
Carbon-14 urea breath test for H. Pylori
Gallium or white blood cell scan
Gastric emptying time (GET) study
Lymphoscintigraphy or sentinel lymph node imaging
Myocardial perfusion (Cardiolite) imaging
Parathyroid gland scan
Radioiodine (Iodine-131) therapy
Renal scan
Resting multigated acquisition (MUGA) scan
Thyroid uptake and thyroid scan
Ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) lung scan

What to expect

Before your appointment

Please arrive 15 minutes early for your scheduled appointment. If you are late, your appointment may be rescheduled.

In some cases, it may be necessary to empty your bladder immediately before your exam.

Different nuclear medicine exams have different preparation steps. It is important that you follow the instructions you were given at the time you booked the appointment.

If you wish to have a physician other than your referring physician copied on the results report, please let the receptionist know before your test.

At your appointment

Your appointment time could last anywhere from 30 minutes to four hours. It will depend on the type of nuclear medicine imaging you are getting.

Please avoid wearing jewelry or any other metal objects for the exam.

Female patients between the ages of 10 to 55 will be asked if there is any possibility of pregnancy or if they are breastfeeding or chestfeeding.

After your appointment

You can go back to your normal activities after the exam.

To lower your radiation exposure, drink extra fluids and empty your bladder often until bedtime.

A report will be sent to your physician within 10 days.

What to bring

Health (OHIP) card or valid health-care coverage
A list of your current medications or supplements
A bag to store your personal belongings
Wear loose, comfortable clothing
A support person, if needed

How to access our services

You need a referral from a health-care provider to be seen at medical imaging. Visit our referral criteria for more information.

Location

Department of Medical Imaging
600 University Avenue
5th floor

Directions

See maps, directions and parking for Mount Sinai Hospital.

Contact

Phone: 416-586-4800 ext. 4446
Fax: 416-586-8790

Hours

Contact hours:
Monday to Friday
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Closed for lunch
12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Appointment hours:
Monday to Friday
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Types of nuclear imaging exams

Bone scan

A bone scan helps diagnose problems with your bone metabolism (bone growth and reabsorption) and shows how your bone tissue is functioning. It can show the effects of injury, disease (such as cancer) or infection in the bones.

There is no preparation for this exam.

At your appointment, a small amount of a radioactive tracer is injected into a vein in your arm or hand. You might have some initial pictures taken right after.

You can then leave and come back after two to four hours, giving your bones time to absorb the tracer. During this waiting period, you will be asked to drink plenty of fluids and to pee often.

When you return you will be asked to empty your bladder and lie on a scanning bed while pictures are taken. This can take between 30 minutes to 60 minutes.

After the scan, you can go back to your normal activities. There are no known side effects from the test.

Carbon-14 urea breath test

A Carbon-14 urea breath test looks for stomach bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). These bacteria can cause stomach problems, including ulcers.

Do not eat or drink anything for six hours before your appointment, including water, candy or gum. If possible, take your medication after the test. You may need to stop taking certain medication for up to 30 days. Your physician will give you instructions about what medication to stop taking.

You must brush your teeth at home with toothpaste just before you leave for your appointment.

During the appointment, you will drink a small amount of Carbon-14, which is a radioactive tracer substance, and then rinse your mouth with water. Twelve minutes later you will blow into a vial until the blue solution turns clear. The entire test will take about 30 minutes.

There are no known side effects from the test, and you can go back to your normal activities afterwards.

Gastric emptying time (GET) study

A gastric emptying time (GET) study measures the speed at which solid food leaves the stomach.

Do not eat or drink for six hours before your appointment. If possible, take your medication after the test. You may need to stop taking certain medication for up to 30 days. Your physician will give you instructions about what medication to stop taking.

During the test, you will eat an egg sandwich that contains a small amount of radioactive tracer. A technologist will take several one-minute images over a period of four hours. Between images, you will be free to move around but cannot eat or drink. The entire test will take about four hours.

There are no known side effects from the test, and you can go back to your normal activities afterwards.

Multigated acquisition (MUGA) scan

A multigated acquisition (MUGA) scan shows how well your heart pumps blood.

There is no preparation for this exam.

During the appointment, you will get two injections into a vein in your arm or hand. The first injection is a non-radioactive medicine, followed (after 20 to 30 minutes) by a small amount of a radioactive tracer.

After that, the technologist will ask you to lie on an imaging bed with four electrocardiogram (ECG) buttons placed on your chest to take three pictures of your heart. This part of the procedure takes about 30 minutes.

There are no known side effects from the test, and you can go back to normal activities afterwards.

Myocardial perfusion (Cardiolite)

A myocardial perfusion test, also known as Cardiolite, shows how well your heart muscle is pumping and how well blood is flowing through your heart. It is helpful in diagnosing coronary artery disease.

Do not eat or drink anything with caffeine for 24 hours before the test. Caffeine can be found in some types of coffee, tea, soda, chocolate, sports drinks and foods. You may have a light breakfast or drink, like orange juice, three to four hours before the test.

Some medication may affect the accuracy and effectiveness of the exam. Your physician will advise you if you need to stop taking any medications. Bring a list of all the medications you are taking, or the medication bottles. Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes and walking shoes.

There are two parts to this test, a rest portion and a stress portion.

For the rest portion, you will get an injection of a radioactive tracer called Cardiolite® into a vein in your arm or hand. Then you will wait in the waiting room for about one hour. During this time, you will be asked to drink three to four cups of water. You can empty your bladder as needed.

Next, you will change into a gown. An intravenous (IV) line will be put into a vein in your arm or hand and electrocardiogram (ECG) buttons will be placed on your chest. A technologist will take you to the imaging room where you will lie down on an imaging bed. The technologist will attach the ECG wires and take pictures of your heart, including a low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan, for 20 minutes.

For the stress portion of the test, you will either have an exercise stress test on a treadmill or a Persantine stress test, which uses medication to stress your heart.

During this time, our care providers will watch your ECG and blood pressure. You will get a second injection of Cardiolite® through your IV. After 30 to 60 minutes, a technologist will bring you back into the imaging room for another 20-minute scan of your heart, including another low-dose CT scan of your heart.

The entire test will take about four to five hours.

There are no known side effects from the test, and you can go back to your normal activities afterwards.

Parathyroid scan

A parathyroid scan is used to detect problems with the parathyroid gland, which is located next to the thyroid and controls calcium metabolism in your body.

There is no preparation needed for this exam.

During the appointment, you will lie on a bed while a small amount of radioactive trace substance is injected into a vein in your arm or hand. Some initial pictures will be taken at this time. Ten minutes later, the technician will take more pictures. This part of the test will last about 30 minutes.

More pictures, including a 3-D image and a low dose CT scan of your neck or chest, will be taken 30 minutes and then two hours after the injection.

Then you will get another injection of a different radioactive tracer substance that goes to the thyroid gland. This part takes about one 45 minutes.

The whole test from start to finish can take up to four hours.

There are no known side effects from the test, and you can go back to your normal activities afterwards.

Ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) lung scan

A ventilation/perfusion lung scan shows the air and blood supply to your lungs. It is used to rule out pulmonary embolism, which is when blood clots from other parts in the body (usually the legs) travel to the lungs.

There is no preparation for this test.

During the appointment, you will first be asked to breathe in a small amount of radioactive gas, to see how air moves in your lungs. Immediately after that, 3-D images of your lungs will be taken. This part of the test will last about 15 minutes.

Next, you will get an injection with a small amount of a radioactive tracer into a vein in your arm or hand. Once again, 3-D Images of your lungs will be taken for about 15 minutes. These images will show the blood supply to your lungs.

The entire test will take about one hour.

There are no known side effects from the test. You may resume normal activities afterwards.