The Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging is committed to excellence in clinical care. The Division offers specialized nuclear medicine imaging using state-of-the-art single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT and SPECT/CT), and positron emission tomography (PET/CT).
Facilities
Our clinical facilities are distributed across two geographic areas within the BWH campus:
Main hospital – 75 Francis St
This facility is primarily dedicated to non-cardiac general nuclear medicine procedures. The facility houses 3 dual head Siemens ECAM SPECT and 1 Siemens Symbia SPECT/CT systems.
Shapiro Cardiovascular Center - 70 Francis St
This area is integrated within the Cardiovascular Imaging Center and is dedicated to cardiovascular nuclear medicine and all types of PET/CT studies. This laboratory includes two dedicated D-SPECT systems (Spectrum Dynamics), and two PET/CT 64 slice systems (GE DRX/VCT and DSTE/VCT). The laboratory is fully integrated within the Nuclear Medicine division and has access to additional imaging systems in the main hospital building.
Procedures
The Division of Nuclear Medicine offers a wide range of procedures, applicable to a variety of systems and pathologies including:
General Nuclear Medicine examinations
- Central Nervous System
- Brain Death Scan
- Brain Perfusion SPECT Imaging
- Ictal brain SPECT
- Diamox challenge brain SPECT
- DaTscan – evaluation of Parkinsonian syndrome
- Thallium Brain SPECT for tumor workup
- Cerebrospinal Fluid Imaging: cisternography, CSF leak, CSF drug delivery pump evaluation, CSF shunt patency
- Dacryoscintigraphy
Endocrine System
- Thyroid scan with 99mTc pertechnetate
- Thyroid uptake and scan with iodine-123-NaI
- Whole body I-123 (or I-131)-NaI Scan (Pre- and Post-therapy)
- Dosimetric whole body I-131-NaI Scan for thyroid cancer metastases
- Parathyroid planar and SPECT/CT imaging with 99mTc-sestamibi
- In-111-octreotide imaging for neuroendocrine tumors
- I-123-MIBG imaging for pheochromocytoma/neuroblastoma
Musculoskeletal System
- Whole body bone scan
- Bone SPECT
- Three-phase bone scan
Hematopoietic/Inflammation/Oncology
- In-111 or Tc-99m HMPAO-labelled leukocyte scan
- Bone Marrow Scan
- RBC Sequestration
- Gallium Scan
- Lymphoscintigraphy
- Injection of Tc-99m sulfur colloid for sentinel node mapping
Pulmonary System
- Lung perfusion and ventilation scan
- Quantitative lung scan
Gastrointestinal System
- Salivary/parotid scan
- Hepatobiliary scan
- Hepatic hemangioma scan
- Liver/spleen and selective spleen scan
- Gastrointestinal bleeding scan
- Gastric emptying scan
- Meckel’s scan (Ectopic gastric mucosa scan)
- Esophageal motility and reflux study
- Peritoneal shunt patency assessment
Genitourinary System
- Renal blood flow and scan
- Captopril renal scan
- Renal Lasix scan
- Renal cortical scan
- Renal GFR quantification
Nuclear Cardiology
- SPECT Scans: Myocardial perfusion imaging for evaluation of CAD, myocardial Pyrophosphate scan for evaluation of cardiac amyloidosis
- PET Scans: Myocardial perfusion imaging for detection of CAD, myocardial viability assessment, cardiac sarcoidosis, Florbetapir scan for cardiac amyloidosis
- Radionuclide Ventriculogram
PET/CT in Oncology and Neurology
- Brain (neuropsychiatry, neuro-oncology, and epilepsy work-up)
- Head and Neck
- Radiation therapy Planning
- Standard (skull base to mid-thigh)
- Standard with Dedicated Brain
- Total Body (scalp to toes)
- PET/CT guided interventions: biopsy, microwave and cryoablation of malignant lesions
Therapy
- 131I therapy for benign and malignant thyroid lesions
- Palliation of bone metastasis: 89Sr Chloride, Ra-223 Xofigo, 153Samarium-EDTMP
