• Overview of Examinations
• MRI
• CT
• PET-CT
• Nuclear Medicine
• Ultrasound/Sonography
• X-Ray
• Bone Density Screening
• Digital Mammography
• Examination Preparation
• Insurance Accepted
• FAQs
• Women's Health Corner

These services are available at the following BAB Radiology Locations:

• Bay Shore
• Huntington

Overview of Examinations-Nuclear Medicine

What is "Nuclear Medicine"?

Nuclear Medicine is used to detect abnormalities of blood flow, structure or function. Nuclear Medicine is a very safe way of diagnosing certain conditions in your body. With a nuclear medicine test, we give you an agent that is called a "radionuclide". This is usually in the form of a pill, but it may also be injected into a veins. Some radionuclides are in pill form. This medication contains a very small quantity of a safe radioactive material that will completely leave your body shortly after your scan. While in your body, this radioactive material is detected by the scanner in whatever body part is being scanned. The test is completely painless and you will experience no discomfort while in the scanner.

Will I be radioactive after my examination?

There are certain precautions that you must be aware of after your examination is completed. The technologist will explain these to you when you have your test. Within a few days of your examination, all of the tracer will be completely eliminated from your body.

Why is Nuclear Medicine useful for checking my heart?

Small amounts of a "radionuclide" (tracer) substance are injected into your vein for this test. A special camera detects this substance as it is distributed to your heart. The images are stored onto a computer for further analysis by a cardiologist and / or radiologist. At BAB Radiology, we have several board-certified cardiologists for this purpose. If you have narrowing in one or more of the blood vessels in or around your heart, nuclear scanning helps us learn more about how this restriction actually affects the hearts blood supply and function.

What is a "Thallium" stress test?

Blood flow through the heart is usually examined by injecting thallium-201 into a vein and obtaining images while the person performs an exercise test. The amount of thallium-201 absorbed into the heart depends on the blood flow. At peak exercise, the area(s) of your heart that have poor blood supply will show less radioactivity - and produces a "fainter" image. After this is done, you will rest for a few hours. Then, a second scan is done. This enables the doctor to see which areas of the heart have a reversible lack of flow, which usually results from coronary artery narrowing, and which areas have irreversible scarring of the heart muscle, which usually results from a previous heart attack.

What is a bone scan?

There several types of bone scans. Both of these scans require that a special "radionuclide" (tracer) be given. You are placed on a table and images are taken of your entire body. The tracer is absorbed by areas of abnormality. This test can detect very tiny fractures that are too small to visualize on x-ray … or they can detect more advanced disease that may have spread to the bone from surrounding tissues. There is no discomfort associated with a bone scan and it is completely safe.

What is a thyroid scan?

A thyroid scan uses small amounts of radioactive iodine or technetium and a device to produce a picture of the thyroid gland that will show any physical abnormalities. Thyroid scanning can also help the doctor determine whether the function of an area is normal, overactive, or under active compared with the rest of the gland. This test is very safe and you will experience no discomfort.