Thyroid scintigraphy provides information about the activity and distribution of thyroid function within the thyroid gland.

Indication: Thyroid nodules and/or hyperthyroidism, detection/exclusion of functionally relevant autonomy, follow-up of untreated autonomy, prior to planned radioiodine therapy or surgery, therapy monitoring after radioiodine therapy, differentiation of autoimmune thyroid disease (e.g., Hashimoto's disease, Graves' disease).

Preparation: If you are taking thyroid medication and/or have recently been exposed to iodine (e.g., a CT scan with contrast medium), please consult us. If possible, any examination involving iodine should have been performed at least 6-8 weeks prior.

Procedure: A small amount of a weakly radioactive substance (technetium-99m pertechnetate) is injected into a vein in your arm. The substance takes about 20 minutes to distribute itself, after which images are taken with the gamma camera for 10 minutes. If necessary, an ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland may be performed before or after this.

Time required: About one hour in total

Myocardial scintigraphy shows the blood flow in the heart muscle under stress and at rest. The Radiology Practice Baden-Baden is one of the few practices in southern Germany with a dedicated, latest-generation myocardial scintigraphy camera. This enables the best possible image quality at a low dose.

Please bring any previous findings, reports, and medication plans with you. 

Indication: Exclusion of relevant circulatory disorders in patients with an elevated risk profile, or if adequate bicycle ergometric stress testing is not possible or cannot be interpreted (e.g., left bundle branch block), abnormal stress ECG, assessment of the relevance of known coronary artery stenosis, monitoring of treatment progress, prior to major planned surgery.

Preparation:Before the stress test, you should be fasting (you should not have eaten anything for at least 4-6 hours, and should not have consumed any caffeinated beverages (coffee, black tea, cola, Red Bull, etc.) for at least 24 hours) and should not have taken your heart medication (if possible) (you will receive this information separately before the test). You should have taken your tablets as normal before the resting test.

Procedure: You will almost always be examined under stress conditions first, i.e., you will have to ride a stationary bike on an ergometer, as in a stress ECG. It is essential that you follow the preparation instructions above. Alternatively, or if this is not possible, you will be injected with a substance through a vein in your arm that "simulates" stress on the heart. If possible, you will also ride a stationary bike at a low level of exertion. At the point of maximum stress, we inject a weakly radioactive substance into a vein in your arm, which is distributed throughout the heart muscle in accordance with blood flow. About an hour later, the images are taken with a gamma camera, which takes 15 to 20 minutes.
Depending on the results of the examination and your known findings, an examination under resting conditions is usually necessary. For this, you will be injected with the same low-level radioactive substance again, followed by a waiting period of about one hour and then the images will be taken with the gamma camera.

Time required:The examination usually takes two days. The stress test takes about 2 hours, and the resting test takes about 1.5 hours. In rare cases, both tests can be performed on the same day, which takes a total of about 3 to 4 hours.

Bone or skeletal scintigraphy is used to visualize bone metabolism. Bone metabolism is altered in cases of inflammation and tumors of the bones and joints, as well as in bone metastases.

Indications:bone metastases, bone tumors, osteomyelitis, TEP loosening, joint inflammation, suspected rheumatic diseases, bone necrosis, bone infarcts, undetected fractures, Sudeck's syndrome, assessment of metabolic activity prior to pain therapy with samarium.

Preparation:None

Procedure:A weakly radioactive substance is injected into a vein in your arm. Depending on the issue being investigated, the images are taken with the gamma camera immediately afterwards for about 5 to 10 minutes and/or after a waiting period of about 3 hours. During the waiting period, you should drink at least one liter of fluid. Take your tablets as usual. The subsequent late images, usually of the entire body (whole-body scintigraphy), take 15 to 20 minutes. For some issues, layer images (SPECT) are also necessary, which take 10 to 15 minutes.

Time required:approximately 3.5 hours

Kidney function and urine flow can be displayed separately for each side.

Indication:Determination of total tubular function (clearance), the separate functional components of both kidneys, clarification and follow-up of urinary flow disorders.

Preparation:Drink plenty of fluids before the examination.

Procedure:Once it has been ensured that you have consumed sufficient fluids, you will be positioned lying down on the gamma camera. A weakly radioactive substance (radiopharmaceutical) will be injected into a vein in your arm, and at the same time, the gamma camera will begin taking images for 30 to 40 minutes. During this time, blood will be drawn twice to measure your kidney function. You will also be given a diuretic to overcome any blockages in the urinary tract. This information is important for assessing the relevance of any urinary flow obstruction. You must lie still during the gamma camera imaging.

Time required:approximately 1 to 1.5 hours

Depending on the radiopharmaceutical used, blood flow in the lungs can be visualized.

Indication:Detection/exclusion of pulmonary artery embolism (perfusion scintigraphy). Preoperative quantitative determination of lung function in individual lung segments.

Preparation:None

Procedure:For a perfusion scintigraphy, weakly radioactive protein particles are injected into an arm vein, where they remain in the smallest pulmonary vessels for a short time (capillary blockage), comparable to an embolism that is not relevant to the body, and are then quickly broken down again. Immediately after the injection, images of the lungs are taken from six to eight angles, using SPECT technology if necessary, which show the distribution of the substance and thus provide a picture of the blood flow in the lungs.

Time required:approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.