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Scintigraphy is a modern diagnosis of diseases.

Scintigraphy is a modern high-precision method for radioisotope diagnostics of the state of tissues at the molecular level. Scintigraphy is used in cases where it is difficult to study the state of internal organs and tissues by other diagnostic methods.

Scintigraphy is useful in the early diagnosis of diseases that are difficult to detect, when changes in tissues begin to change the biochemical state of cells.

The diagnostic study involves radionuclides - isotopes (these are markers that react differently to the state of tissues), emitting gamma radiation, which in turn is captured by a gamma camera with a scintillator in it - a substance that absorbs gamma radiation with the subsequent release of a light flash (light photon) captured by the next device - a photodetector that converts a flash of light into a current pulse.

This process allows the interpretation of light energy as a light spectrum, which is recorded and visualized by spectrometric equipment (similar to spectral analysis of the composition of substances in tissues, for example, as in mass spectrometry).

In time, a scintigraphic examination takes up to three hours. This is the time during which radioisotopes are able to spread through the tissues of the body. The radioactive isotope is injected into the bloodstream intravenously, spreads through the tissues and begins to emit. Thus, radioactive labels reacting to specific proteins (peptides) are scattered over the tissues of the body. After a certain period of time, pharmaceutical radionuclides are removed from the body without accumulating in it.

With the help of scintigraphic examination, it is possible to identify specific changes in tissues, typical for such pathologies as:

malignant and benign tumors,
structural changes in myocardial tissue,
bone pathology,
pathology of the patency of the main and peripheral blood vessels,
patency and structural changes in the hepatic ducts, renal tubules and glomeruli,
cellular abnormalities of the tissues of the liver, kidneys, lungs, thyroid gland, cells of the gastrointestinal mucosa and other pathological conditions.

Scintigraphy has the same contraindications as conventional X-ray examination. In particular, scintigraphy is categorically not indicated in pregnancy and with specific individual intolerance to the radiopharmaceutical (isotope) used.