Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine

Children’s (pediatric) nuclear medicine imaging uses small amounts of radioactive materials called radiotracers, a special camera and a computer to help diagnose childhood disorders that are present at birth or that develop during childhood. It provides unique information that often cannot be obtained using other imaging procedures.

Tell your doctor about your child’s recent illnesses, medical conditions, medications and allergies. Depending on the type of exam, your doctor will instruct you on what your child may eat or drink beforehand, especially if sedation is to be used. Most nuclear medicine exams will involve an injection in a vein in your child’s arm or hand. Your child should wear loose, comfortable clothing and may be asked to wear a gown.

What is Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine?

Nuclear medicine is a branch of medical imaging that uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose and determine the severity of or treat a variety of diseases, including many types of cancers, heart disease, gastrointestinal, endocrine, neurological disorders and other abnormalities within the body. Because nuclear medicine procedures are able to pinpoint molecular activity within the body, they offer the potential to identify disease in its earliest stages as well as a patient’s immediate response to therapeutic interventions.

Children's (pediatric) nuclear medicine refers to imaging examinations done in babies, young children and teenagers.

Nuclear medicine imaging procedures are noninvasive and, with the exception of intravenous injections, are usually painless medical tests that help physicians diagnose and evaluate medical conditions. These imaging scans use radioactive materials calledradiopharmaceuticals or radiotracers.

Depending on the type of nuclear medicine exam, the radiotracer is either injected into the body, swallowed or inhaled as a gas and eventually accumulates in the organ or area of the body being examined. Radioactive emissions from the radiotracer are detected by a special camera or imaging device that produces pictures and provides molecular information.

In many centers, nuclear medicine images can be superimposed with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) to produce special views, a practice known as image fusion or co-registration. These views allow the information from two different exams to be correlated and interpreted on one image, leading to more precise information and accurate diagnoses. In addition, manufacturers are now making single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) units that are able to perform both imaging exams at the same time. An emerging imaging technology, but not readily available at this time is PET/MRI.