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Nuclear medicine scans use a special camera (gamma) to take pictures of tissues and organs in the body after a radioactive tracer (radionuclide or radioisotope) is put in a vein in the arm and is absorbed by the tissues and organs. The radioactive tracer shows the activity and function of the tissues or organs.

Each type of tissue that may be scanned (including bones, organs, glands, and blood vessels) uses a different radioactive compound as a tracer. The tracer remains in the body temporarily before it is passed in the urine or stool (feces).

For more information, see the topic:

• Bone Scan.
• Cardiac Blood Pool Scan.
• Gallbladder Scan.
• Gallium Scan.
• Kidney Scan.
• Liver and Spleen Scan.
• Lung Scan.
• Positron Emission Tomography (PET).
• Salivary Gland Scan.
• Testicular Scan.