Scintigraphy is an imaging technique that makes use of radioactive substances (isotopes). This technique is used in certain cases where classic imaging techniques such as radiography, ultrasound and CT scans do not provide sufficient information about the dog’s problem.
The radioactive substances are bound to a component that in turn will specifically bind to a certain organ or tissue.
The technique is very sensitive which allows detection of anomalies in a very early stage. After all, scintigraphy allows imaging of the whole animal, giving an overview of the entire body.
This technique is very well suited to trace metastases. If a bone tumour metastasizes, it is possible to show the presence of bone on locations where it should not be present via scintigraphy and thus confirm and localize the metastasis.
To trace tumours, tracers are available for the bone and thyroid. The technique of scintigraphy can be adapted to treat the tumours as well (metabolic radiotherapy). The technique is not widely available in veterinary medicine.
Scintigraphy is available at (non-exhaustive list)
A small amount of a radioactive substance is bound to a component that binds to a specific organ or tissue. During scintigraphy, this now radioactive component is injected intravenously in the dog. The organ or tissue-specific component then binds in the body to e.g. bone tissue and the radioactive substance will emit radiation on that spot in the body. The radiation is measured via a special camera (gamma camera), which creates a 2D image.
The used radioactive substances are harmless for the dog and the radiation load is minimal. The radioactive substance loses its radiation after a while. The speed at which the radioactive substance loses its radioactive radiation depends on the used radioactive substance and this determines -besides the speed at which the dog eliminates the substance via urine or feces- how long the dog emits radiation.
2D image of scintigraphy of a bone tumour measured with a gamma camera
