Nuclear Medicine is a medical specialty based on the use of very small doses of radioactive substances (radiopharmaceuticals) for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The term “nuclear” comes from the use of radiation emitted by the nucleus of artificially produced atoms. The images that display the distribution and metabolism of these substances are called “scintigraphy.” The device used in Nuclear Medicine is called a GAMMA CAMERA.
The Nuclear Medicine department at Hygeia Hospital Tirana is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, allowing for precise and high-quality diagnosis in each case. Most importantly, it is staffed by highly qualified and experienced nuclear medicine professionals.
Advantages of Nuclear Medicine
Nuclear Medicine aims to make accurate early diagnoses of many diseases, applicable across all age groups. Thanks to the signal emitted by the administered radiopharmaceutical, changes in organ function can be studied even before clinical symptoms appear.
Nuclear Medicine stands out from other imaging methods due to its ability to detect functional changes before anatomical ones become visible.
Is it safe?
The radiation dose used in each exam is very low. Tests can also be performed on young children and repeated without concern. The radioactive tracers used are quickly eliminated and lose their activity, without toxic effects.
What preparation is required?
Generally, no special preparation is needed. In the case of pregnancy or breastfeeding, it is important to inform the physician before the exam.
Exam Procedure
After receiving a recommendation from a clinical doctor, the patient visits the nuclear medicine service and consults with the nuclear physician, who reviews the referral and assesses the need for the test. The patient is then taken to the “hot” room where the radiopharmaceutical is injected intravenously.
After the injection, the patient lies on the GAMMA CAMERA table where the necessary scintigraphic images are taken. At the end of the exam, the patient may resume normal activities.
Exam Results
The nuclear physician processes the collected information and provides a written report (usually the same day), accompanied by the relevant exam images. The scintigraphic study is stored in the central PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System).
For more information about this department, we invite you to watch the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByVxpxTV5q8
- Bone scintigraphy
(Early detection of primary or secondary bone tumors.)
- Three-phase bone scintigraphy
(Localization of inflammatory bone infections in early stages, osteomyelitis, etc.)
- Dynamic renal scintigraphy
(Assessment of kidney function, urinary tract, follow-up after therapy.)
- Static renal scintigraphy
(Assessment of kidney function after inflammatory processes.)
- Heart scintigraphy
(Suspected coronary disease, assessment of myocardial perfusion before and after bypass and/or angioplasty.)
- Tear duct scintigraphy
(Duct patency.)
- Lymphoscintigraphy
(Search for the “sentinel” lymph node in breast cancer and melanoma.)
- Cerebral tomoscintigraphy
(Memory disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, ischemic attacks, and trauma.)
General Information
Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy is an exam that allows the study of the amount of blood flowing from coronary circulation (heart vessels) to the myocardial cells (heart muscle).
It is one of the main and most important tests, performed exclusively at the HYGEIA Tirana Nuclear Medicine Center.
Heart perfusion is studied after a stress test and at rest to simulate possible cardiac ischemia (reduced blood flow) in a safe and controlled manner. Cardiac ischemia results from an imbalance between the heart tissue’s oxygen needs and the amount delivered via coronary circulation.
The preferred stress test is physical exertion, but a pharmacological test can be used depending on the patient’s condition.
This exam is conducted by intravenously injecting a radiopharmaceutical such as 99mTc-MIBI (MioView) or 99mTc-Tetrofosmin (Cardiolite), which concentrates in the cardiac cells proportionally to the blood flow received through coronary arteries.
What does the exam involve?
The test involves performing myocardial scintigraphy both after a stress test and at rest.
Both tests can be done on the same or different days and involve radiopharmaceutical injection at the end of the stress test and during rest. The exercise test is done on a treadmill and monitored by a cardiologist who tracks ECG, blood pressure, and general condition. At 85% effort, the nuclear physician injects the radiopharmaceutical and the test continues for another 1–2 minutes. Image acquisition begins 30–60 minutes after injection. During this time, patients are encouraged to eat a light meal and drink two to three glasses of water.
To acquire the images, the patient lies on the table of a device called a “Gamma Camera,” the head of which rotates around the chest.
The total exam duration is about 30 minutes. At the end, the return time for the resting scan is confirmed.
The rest scan involves injecting the radiopharmaceutical under resting conditions.
Image acquisition starts approximately 30–60 minutes after injection.
Patient Preparation
• Patients must fast for at least 6 hours before the exam.
After the exam, the images must be processed and interpreted by the nuclear physician. Radiation risk to others is negligible, but it’s still recommended to drink plenty of fluids, especially during the first 3–4 hours. No special precautions are needed in the environment. It is advised to avoid close and prolonged contact, especially with children and pregnant women, during the first hours.
Patients are encouraged to ask the nuclear physician for any explanations needed before or after the exam or booking.