Introduction to nuclear medicine

Before we learn about the different imaging techniques, let’s briefly cover some of the important foundations of nuclear imaging. Unlike other imaging modalities (radiographs, CT, angiography, etc) that use ionizing radiation, nuclear images are created by recorded emissions from certain tissues and organs within the body. These emissions are produced with the use of radiopharmaceuticals. Radiopharmaceuticals are compounds created through the combination of a radionuclide (an unstable element) and a pharmaceutical (a biologically active agent). These compounds usually have an affinity for a specific tissue or organ, allowing the physiology and anatomy to be visualized on imaging.