Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicine is an advanced diagnostic imaging modality which images the physiological or functional processes of the body.  Due to the ability to image physiology versus anatomy, nuclear medicine can often identify abnormalities very early in the progress of a disease—long before many medical problems are apparent with other diagnostic tests. Nuclear medicine scans are generally more organ or tissue specific (example: lung scans, cardiac scans, bone scans, etc.) than those in other radiology procedures which typically focus on a section or region of interest (example: chest x-ray, abdominal or pelvic CT scan, head CT scan, etc.). In addition, there are nuclear medicine studies that allow imaging of the whole body based on certain cellular receptors or functions that can diagnose conditions such as infections and cancer.

Heart Care Imaging offers comprehensive solutions related to every aspect of nuclear medicine. We gauge the scope of the desired program, acquire the appropriate technologies, find the most qualified healthcare professionals, and ensure the laboratory runs seamlessly for the providers and their patients.

Common nuclear medicine scans include but are not limited to:

→       Myocardial perfusion scans-to assess regional blood flow through the coronary arteries to the heart muscle

→        Bone scans-used to evaluate metastatic disease, fractures, cellulitis or osteomyelitis

→        HIDA scans-for right upper quadrant pain or bloating to assess the liver, gallbladder, and biliary tract

→        Lung Scans-to determine the presence of pulmonary emboli

→        Gastric Emptying scans- to detect abnormal gastric emptying rates that can be caused by diseases or surgical procedures

→        GI Bleed localization- to determine the site of GI bleeding

→        Renal Scan-most often used to determine renal function rather than morphology

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a type of nuclear medicine procedure that produces a three-dimensional image of functional process in the body.  PET scans are able to pinpoint molecular activity within the body and measure important body functions, such as blood flow, oxygen use, and sugar (glucose) metabolism, to help doctors evaluate how well organs and tissues are functioning.

Common PET scans include but are not limited to:

→        Cardiac PET using Rb-82

→        Bone scans using 18F-NAF

→        Oncological PET using 18F-FDG

PET and PET/CT scans are performed to:

•        Detect cancer

•        Determine if a cancer has spread in the body

•       Evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment plan

•        Determine if a cancer has returned post treatment

•        Determine blood flow to the heart muscle

•        Assess the effects of a heart attack, or myocardial infarction

•        Evaluate brain abnormalities, such as tumors, memory disorders, seizures, and other central nervous system disorders

Ultrasound

Heart Care Imaging offers comprehensive solutions related to every aspect of non-invasive cardiac, vascular, and general ultrasound laboratories. At HCI, our approach is to gauge the scope of the desired program, acquire the appropriate technologies, find the most qualified healthcare professionals, and ensure the laboratory runs seamlessly for the providers and their patients.

Cardiac Ultrasound

Echocardiography is routinely used in the diagnosis, management, and follow-up of patients with suspected or known heart disease. It is one of the most widely used diagnostic tests in cardiology. It provides a wealth of helpful information, including the size and shape of the heart, how well the heart pumps blood with each beat to the body, and the location and severity of any structural pathology.

Common cardiac ultrasound scans include but are not limited to:

→     Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE) – Assesses structural function of the heart.

→     Transthoracic Stress Echocardiography (TSE) – Assesses the heart for coronary artery disease.

→     Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) – Assesses the heart typically before a cardiac procedure.

VASCULAR ULTRASOUND

Vascular ultrasound is routinely used to assess patency and possible obstruction of arteries, diagnose the presence of deep vein thrombosis, and determine the extent and severity of venous insufficiency. Vascular ultrasound is also used to obtain and record vascular information such as blood pressure, changes in limb volume, cerebral circulation, peripheral circulation, and abdominal circulation.

Common vascular ultrasound scans include but are not limited to:

→     Abdominal Aortic Ultrasound – Assesses the aorta for aneurysm and stenosis

→     Carotid Ultrasound – Assesses carotid arteries of the neck for stenosis that could lead to a stroke

→     Lower Extremity Arterial Duplex Ultrasound and Ankle Brahial Index (ABI)– Assesses the arteries of legs for people with claudication

GENERAL ULTRASOUND

General ultrasound is used to visualize internal body structures such as tendons, muscles, joints, and organs. Its aim is to find a source of a disease or to exclude pathology. General ultrasound provides images in real-time, is portable so it can be brought to the bedside, and is substantially lower in cost.

Common general ultrasound scans include but are not limited to:

→     Abdominal Ultrasound – Assesses the organs within the abdomen, such as the liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, and bladder.

CT and MRI are leading imaging technologies in radiology. These complementary imaging techniques aid clinicians in diagnosing and staging many healthy and disease processes, by acquiring high spatial resolution images involving soft tissue and bone structures. MRI uses magnetic fields along with radio waves to produce images, while CT uses an X-Ray beam to generate the images. When used in conjunction with other imaging modalities– such as Nuclear Medicine, PET and Ultrasound – MRI and CT have a positive and direct effect on the diagnosis, staging, and treatment planning for your patients.

HCI provides a seamless solution to incorporate MRI and/or CT imaging for you and your patients. Contact us today for a quote and custom solution for adding MRI/CT services to your practice.

Computed Tomography (CT)

CT is a noninvasive, safe, and well-tolerated scan that provides a highly detailed look at many different parts of the body. They are frequently used to evaluate the brain, neck, spine, chest, abdomen, pelvis and sinuses.

CT scans are performed to detect:

→     A mass, stroke, area of bleeding, or blood vessel abnormality in head or brain.

→     A soft tissues to study a lump, mass or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck.

→     Sinus disease or detect a narrowing or obstruction in sinus pathway.

→     A herniated disc, spinal stenosis or a fracture or break in the spine.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

The development of the MRI scan represents a huge milestone for the medical world, as doctors, scientists, and researchers are now able to examine the inside of the human body accurately using this non-invasive tool. It is a safe and painless test that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed pictures of the body’s organs and structures.

MRI scans are performed to detect:

→        Abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord

→        Tumors, cysts, and other abnormalities in various parts of the body

→        Injuries or abnormalities of the joints, such as back pain

→        Certain types of heart problems

→        Diseases of the liver and other abdominal organs

→        Causes of pelvic pain in women (e.g. fibroids, endometriosis)