Nuclear scans of the digestive tract

[Dave Paprocki]

Nuclear scans are tests that involve the use of harmless radioactive materials (see Radionuclide Scanning). The radioactive materials are ingested as part of a meal or in a drink or are given by vein (intravenously). The small amount of radiation produced by these materials is used to produce images of internal structures. After the materials are in the body, doctors use a special radiation-sensing scanner or camera, called a gamma camera, to show where the materials are in the body. Different types of scans with different nuclear materials are used depending on the purpose of the test and which part of the body needs to be imaged.