A gallium scan uses a radioactive tracer to detect inflammation in the body, which can be seen in various parts of the body. It is used to diagnose conditions and monitor treatment effectiveness. The scan takes one to two hours and results may take a couple of days. Preparations may include taking a laxative and informing the doctor of certain conditions. Abnormalities found in the scan may indicate inflammation or a tumor.
A gallium scan is a kind of nuclear medicine test. The scan is typically used to detect inflammation or swelling in the body. Use a radioactive gallium tracer to pinpoint inflammation. Special gamma cameras are used to follow the tracer through the body. Typically, one of the most common types of this test is a lung gallium scan, which looks for swelling in the lung tissue.
When there is inflammation in the body, white blood cells tend to collect in those areas. The radioactive tracers used in a gallium scan are helpful because they attach to white blood cells, making the presence of inflammation visible. Inflammation can be detected in different parts of the body with this test. It can be seen in the glands, tissue, bones and even blood vessels. The scan can be used to diagnose a condition and monitor the effectiveness of treatment for a pre-diagnosed disease.
There are several reasons a person may be referred for a gallium scan. This type of scan can be used on individuals who are suspected of having a lung condition. It can also be used to detect a metastasis of some tumors. Sometimes when an individual has recurring fevers with no known cause, they will have this scan done to locate a site of infection. People who take antibiotics for long periods of time may have a gallium scan to make sure the antibiotics are working.
It may take a couple of days for the radioactive tracer gallium to build up properly in the body. Because of this, people may be injected with the tracer and come back for the scan a day or two later. During the scan, an individual will lie on a table and a gamma camera will scan the body part being examined. It will be important to remain still while the camera takes pictures, as any uninstructed movement can skew the test results. Typically, the scan takes one to two hours to complete.
To prepare for a gallium scan, an individual may be required to take a laxative in the hours leading up to the test. This can be done to flush out any lingering gallium from the intestines. It will also be important to tell a doctor about certain conditions before having the scan. If a woman is or suspects that she is pregnant, she should tell her doctor in advance. Also, you may need to stop breastfeeding for an extended period after the scan so that the gallium is not passed on to your baby.
In most cases, it may take a couple of days to get the results of a gallium scan. You can expect to discover gallium in small amounts in your colon, bones, breast tissue, and liver, as this is usually normal. A collection of the gallium tracer in a part of the body where gallium is not usually found may indicate an abnormality. The abnormality could mean simple inflammation in that part of the body or a benign or malignant tumor. In general, the scan results can lead doctors towards the best type of treatment for the cause of the abnormality.
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