Gallium Imaging for Tumor and Infection
What is it?
Gallium imaging provides your doctor with a functional image of body tissues. That means the image shows how the cells are performing—whether normally or abnormally, and to what degree. This type of study is named for the radioactive isotope—gallium—that is used. This is how it works:
- The technologist injects the radiotracer into a vein.
A radiotracer is a compound made of a radioactive isotope(an isotope of gallium, in this case) and a pharmaceutical agent.
- The gallium is attracted to infections as well as to certain tumors.
- The radioactive isotope releases energy, and a special camera creates an image from it.
- The image shows any area where too much of the radiotracer has been absorbed, indicating irregular function of the cells.
What is it for?
Gallium imaging is useful for a number of applications related to infection and tumors. In patients with lymphoma or certain other tumors, gallium imaging may be used for staging or for evaluating the response to therapy. It may be used to discover the cause of fever if other tests do not provide a diagnosis. Gallium imaging is also useful in diagnosing osteomyelitis (an infection of the bone and marrow) or in determining if a skin or soft tissue infection has spread to the bone. It can be used to determine the extent of active disease in sarcoidosis, and is often used in the diagnostic work-up of pulmonary symptoms in patients with AIDS. Your doctor will determine if gallium imaging is necessary.
How will the exam be scheduled?
Your doctor will schedule the examination. When the exam is scheduled, your doctor must send a written order detailing the type of exam you should receive and the region of interest. You should also request a copy of this written order, and you should bring it with you to your appointment. According to Massachusetts state law, the technologist cannot inject the radiotracer without a written order from your doctor. Your examination will be delayed if we do not receive a written order.
When your examination is scheduled, your doctor will be told the time for your injection, the time for imaging, and the expected length of time for the complete examination. These times are provided to help you plan your visit(s) to our laboratory. It is possible that your imaging appointment could change by as much as 1 hour, based on activity in the lab on the day of your appointment.
As you plan your visit(s) to our lab, please remember that children under the age of 12 are not permitted within the Nuclear Medicine waiting room or laboratory areas.
How should I prepare for the examination?
There is no special preparation for gallium imaging. Gallium is not known to cause any side effects or adverse interactions with food or prescription drugs. You should continue to take your prescribed medications.
If you are scheduled to have another examination on the same day as your gallium imaging study, you should follow any preparations recommended for that study.
In some cases, patients may be asked to return to the lab at a later time for additional images. If the abdomen is the region of interest, a mild laxative or Fleet enema may be administered to ensure that all of the gallium is cleared from the bowel loops. This will provide a clearer view of the abdomen.
What happens during the examination?
Prior to receiving her injection, any woman between the ages of 12 and 56 will be asked if she might be pregnant. If you think you might be <link>pregnant <link>, you should talk to your doctor about it before having a nuclear medicine examination.
A technologist will inject the appropriate dose of radiotracer into a vein in your arm. You will then be asked to return to the lab in 1-3 days, depending on the reason for the exam. You will also be given an estimate of the length of your imaging study, to help you plan your day.
After the tracer has been absorbed, you will return to the lab for imaging. The technologist will ask you to lie on your back on a bed positioned between a set of cameras. Once you are comfortable on the bed, the imaging will begin. The bed will slide, and the cameras will pass above and below you either from head to foot or just in the region of interest (your abdomen, leg, chest, etc). The cameras move up and down, following the contours of your body. They will come quite close to you. If you are severely claustrophobic, you may ask your doctor for an appropriate prescription to help you relax. The imaging portion of the examination can last 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the purpose of the test. It is important that you remain still while the cameras are moving because the images may get ruined, and the nuclear medicine physician may have difficulty interpreting them accurately.
After both the gallium injection and the imaging portions of your exam, you will be able to resume normal daily activities. There will be no restrictions on eating or drinking. Gallium does not cause drowsiness, so you will be able to drive.
How will I receive the results?
A nuclear medicine physician will review and interpret the images obtained during your study. The results of your gallium imaging study will be provided to your doctor within 48 hours.
Are there any side effects?
Most people do not experience any side effects from gallium. Possible side effects, though rare, include allergic reaction, skin rash, and nausea.
Is the radiation dangerous?
Nuclear medicine examinations do involve the use of a small amount of radiation. The tracer dose is calculated to minimize radiation exposure while providing accurate test results.
Nuclear medicine studies may not be appropriate for pregnant women or those who are breastfeeding. If you think you may be pregnant, discuss this with your doctor. Of course, it is always important to consider the benefits of any diagnostic study along with the risks. In some cases, the importance of making the correct diagnosis outweighs the potential risk to the unborn baby. Your doctor can explain your options.
If you are breastfeeding, you might not be able to nurse your baby for approximately 1 to 2 months depending on the amount of radiotracer injected, since radiation can be passed through the breast milk.
Glossary terms
Osteomyelitis: Inflammation of the bone marrow and surrounding bone
Lymphoma: Cancer of the lymphatic system (part of the body’s immune system)
Radioactive isotope: A particular form of an element, such as iodine, which is unstable and releases energy spontaneously
Sarcoidosis: A disorder marked by inflammation that can occur anywhere in the body; it most frequently occurs in the lungs
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