| Scintigraphy | |
|---|---|
 Scintigraphy | |
| ICD-9-CM | 92.0-92.1 |
| MeSH | D011877 |
| OPS-301 code | 3-70 |
Scintigraphy (from Latin scintilla, "spark"), also known as a gamma scan, is a diagnostic test in nuclear medicine, where radioisotopes attached to drugs that travel to a specific organ or tissue (radiopharmaceuticals) are taken internally and the emitted gamma radiation is captured by gamma cameras, which are external detectors that form two-dimensional images[1] in a process similar to the capture of x-ray images. In contrast, SPECT and positron emission tomography (PET) form 3-dimensional images and are therefore classified as separate techniques from scintigraphy, although they also use gamma cameras to detect internal radiation. Scintigraphy is unlike a diagnostic X-ray where external radiation is passed through the body to form an image.
- ^ "Scintigraphy". Dorland's Medical Dictionary for Health Consumers; Saunders; Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. 2007.