Thallium scan Health Dictionary

Thallium Scan: From 1 Different Sources


Thallium

An element that is toxic to nerve and liver tissues. A poisoned victim’s hair falls out and does not regrow. Treatment is the administration of CHELATING AGENTS. (See also POISONS.)

The radio-isotope (see ISOTOPE) thallium201 is used as a tracer during special imaging studies of blood ?ow through the heart muscle in the diagnosis of myocardial ischaemia (see HEART, DISEASES OF.)... thallium

Pet Scanning

Positron-emission tomography is a NUCLEAR MEDICINE diagnostic technique that works by identifying positrons – positively charged electrons – given o? by substances labelled with radioactive varieties of elements. The result is three-dimensional images that identify metabolic and chemical activities of tissues, especially brain tissues. The images provide information about tissue and organ functions, and can be collated with structural images using COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The equipment is very expensive and available only in selected hospitals in the United Kingdom. The technique is especially valuable in the assessment of neurological disorders.... pet scanning

Scanning Speech

A speech disorder in which articulated syllables are wrongly spaced and each is given the same vocal emphasis. The condition occurs as a result of disease in the cerebellum (see BRAIN) or its connecting nerves. (See also VOICE AND SPEECH.)... scanning speech

Scanning Techniques

Ways of producing images of body organs that record, process and analyse sound waves, radio waves or X-RAYS passing through or generated by the body’s tissues. ULTRASOUND scanning using high-frequency, inaudible sound waves directed at the area of the body being studied is the most generally used scanning procedure. Sound waves are re?ected more powerfully by some structures than others, and a pattern of those re?ections is detected and shown on a screen. Other screening methods include COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET SCANNING) and RADIONUCLIDE scanning, which measures the di?erential uptake of radioactive materials in the body’s tissues.... scanning techniques

Scan

An image produced by one of several scanning techniques.... scan

Ct Scan

See COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY.... ct scan

Ct Scanner

The machine which combines the use of a computer and X-rays to produce cross-sectional images of the body (see COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY).... ct scanner

Delima Scandens

Burkill.

Tetracera scandens

Family: Dilleniaceae.

Habitat: Forests of Bengal, Assam and the Andamans.

Ayurvedic: Paaniya Valli.

Action: A decoction of the plant is given in dysentery and coughs. Leaves—used for the treatment of boils. Root—astringent, used as external application for burns.... delima scandens

Entada Scandens

auct. non-Benth.

Synonym: E. phaseoloides Merrill. E. pursaetha DC. Mimosa entada Linn.

Family: Momosaceae.

Habitat: Eastern Himalayas, hills of Bihar, Orissa and South India.

English: Garbee Bean, Mackay Bean, Elephant Creeper.

Ayurvedic: Gil.

Siddha/Tamil: Chillu, Vattavalli.

Folk: Gil-gaachh.

Action: Seed—carminative, anodyne, spasmolytic bechic, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, antiperiodic. Used in liver complaints, glandular swellings, debility, skin diseases. The seed, stems and bark are poisonous. A paste of the seeds is applied locally for inflammatory glandular swellings. The juice of wood and bark is used as an external application for ulcers. The leaves are reported to be free from the toxic saponins. After soaking in water and roasting toxic principles can be removed from the white kernels of the seeds.

The seeds gave saponins of entagenic acid; a triterpenoid glucoside entanin; beta-sitosterol, alpha-amyrin, querce- tin, gallic acid, cyamidin chloride, lu- peol and a saponin mixture which gave prosapogenin A. Entanin exhibits anti- tumour activity. It inhibits Walker 256 tumours in rats without deaths.

Entadamide A (the sulphur-containing amide from the seed) is a 5-lipo-xygenase inhibitor and is found to be effective in the treatment of bronchial asthma. The bark is used for hair wash.

Entagenic acid, a sapogenin of entada saponin IV, imparts antifungal activity to the bark.... entada scandens

Luvunga Scandens

(Roxb.) Buch.-Ham. ex Wight.

Family: Rutaceae.

Habitat: Bengal, Assam and Khasi Hills.

Ayurvedic: Lavanga-lataa. Folk: Sugandh-kokilaa (Bengal).

Action: Essential oil—antifungal.

Mature berries contain coumarins. The essential oil from berries contains cinnamyl cinnamate, cineole, d- camphor and methyl cinnamate as major components.

Dried fruits are used in medicinal hair oils, prescribed for treating baldness.

The bark contains myricadiol, tara- xerol and myricolal.... luvunga scandens

Olax Scandens

Roxb.

Oenothera odorata Jacq.

Family: Onagraceae.

Habitat: Native to Chile; cultivated as a garden plant in South Australia. Introduced into Indian gardens.

English: Evening Primrose (var.); Sundrop (var.).

Action: Oil from seeds—prescribed for eczema (in children); premenstrual syndrome and cyclical breast pain.

Family: Olacaceae.

Habitat: Sub-Himalayas tract of Kumaon and Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Deccan and Western Ghats.

Ayurvedic: Dheniaani, Karbudaar (doubtful synonym).

Siddha/Tamil: Malliveppam, Kadalranchi.

Folk: Rimil-beeri (Bihar).

Action: Bark—used in anaemia and as a supporting drug in diabetes; also in the treatment of fever.... olax scandens

Pothos Scandens

Linn.

Family: Araceae.

Habitat: Cultivated as an ornamental. Found in Bihar, North Bengal, Orissa, Western Ghats and Southwards.

Siddha/Tamil: Aanaparuga.

Action: Leaves—anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antimicrobial. Applied to smallpox pustules. Root—bruised and fried in oil, applied to abscesses.... pothos scandens

Breasts, Milk Scanty

To promote milk production: Alfalfa, Aniseed, Borage, Caraway, Centuary, Balm, Dill, Fennel, Goat’s Rue, Holy Thistle, Nettles, Burnet Saxifrage, Bitter Milkwort, Marshmallow root, Raspberry leaves, Vervain. John Parkinson (1640) recommended Agnus Castus. Formula (1). Fenugreek seeds 2; Aniseeds 1. Mix. 2 teaspoons to each cup water gently simmered 2 minutes in a covered vessel. Dose: 1 cup 3 or more times daily. Consume seeds.

Formula (2). Equal parts: Goat’s Rue, Raspberry leaves. Mix. 1 heaped teaspoon to each cup boiling water; infuse 5-10 minutes. Dose: 1 cup 3 or more times daily.

Tablets/capsules. Agnus Castus, Fenugreek, Borage. ... breasts, milk scanty

Cat Scanning

An abbreviation for computerized axial tomographic scanning, commonly known as CT scanning.... cat scanning

Ct Scanning

A diagnostic technique in which the combined use of a computer and X-rays passed through the body at different angles produces cross-sectional images of tissues. (computed tomography) scanning has revolutionized the diagnosis and treatment of tumours, abscesses, and haemorrhages in the brain, as well as head injuries and strokes. scanning is also used to locate and image tumours, investigate diseases, and aid needle biopsy in organs of the trunk.

Newer types of scanners use a spiral technique: the scanner rotates around the body as the patient is moved slowly forwards on a bed, causing the X-ray beams to follow a spiral course. The computer produces 3-D images. Injected or swallowed contrast media (chemicals opaque to X-rays) may be used to make certain tissues more visible.... ct scanning

Dexa Scan

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, a technique that measures bone density by passing beams of lowdose radiation through bone. scans are used to assess the severity of osteoporosis. (See also densitometry.)... dexa scan

Dmsa Scan

A type of kidney imaging technique (see radionuclide scanning).... dmsa scan

Isotope Scanning

See radionuclide scanning.... isotope scanning

Nuchal Thickness Scan

Ultrasound scanning performed in early pregnancy in order to identify fetuses at high risk of chromosomal abnormalities such as Down’s syndrome. The scan investigates the nuchal fold, an area of skin at the back of the neck. Excessive thickness of the skin is an indicator of possible chromosomal abnormalities.... nuchal thickness scan

Radioisotope Scanning

See radionuclide scanning.... radioisotope scanning

Radionuclide Scanning

A diagnostic technique based on detection of radiation emitted by radioactive substances introduced into the body. Substances are taken up to different degrees by different tissues, allowing specific organs to be studied. For example, iodine is taken up mainly by the thyroid gland, so by “tagging” a sample of iodine with a radioactive marker (radionuclide), the uptake of iodine can be monitored to investigate the functioning of the gland. A radionuclide is swallowed or injected into the blood and accumulates in the target organ. It emits radiation in the form of gamma radiation, which is detected by a gamma camera to produce an image. Cross-sectional images (“slices”) can be obtained using a computer-controlled gamma camera that rotates around the patient. This specialized form of radionuclide scanning is known as (single photon emission computed tomography). Moving mation on blood flow, the movement of the heart walls, the flow of urine through the kidneys, and bile flow through the liver.

Radionuclide scanning is a safe procedure, requiring only minute doses of radiation that are excreted within hours. The radionuclides carry virtually no risk of toxicity or hypersensitivity.... radionuclide scanning

Thyroid Scanning

Techniques, such as radionuclide scanning and ultrasound scanning, that are used to provide information about the location, anatomy, and function of the thyroid gland.... thyroid scanning

A-scan

n. examination of ocular tissue, including measurement of the length of the eye (axial length), by means of a high-frequency ultrasound machine. See also B-scan.... a-scan

B-scan

examination of the tissues of the eye in cross section by means of a high-frequency ultrasound machine. It is useful in the diagnosis of eye disease, especially in the posterior segment of the eye when direct viewing is obscured (e.g. by dense cataracts). See also A-scan.... b-scan

Muga Scan

(multiple-gated acquisition scan) a technique used in *nuclear medicine for studying the left-ventricular function and wall motion of the heart. The patient’s red cells are labelled with radioactive technetium-99m. A gamma camera, connected to an ECG, collects information over a prolonged period for each phase of heart movement (ECG gating) to form an image of the blood pool within the heart at specific points in the cardiac cycle. Tomographic reconstructions can be made to give cross-sectional images of the heart in different phases of the cardiac cycle, using reconstruction *algorithms comparable to CT scanning (see SPECT scanning).... muga scan

Ultrasound Scanning

A diagnostic technique in which very high frequency sound waves are passed into the body and the reflected echoes analysed to build a picture of the internal organs or of a fetus in the uterus. The procedure is painless and considered safe.Ultrasonic waves are emitted by a transducer, which is placed on the skin over the part of the body to be viewed. The transducer contains a crystal that converts an electric current into sound waves. These pass readily through soft tissues and fluids, making this procedure useful for examining fluid-filled or soft organs.

One of the most common uses of ultrasound is to view the uterus and fetus, at any time during pregnancy, but often at 18–20 weeks. The age, size, and growth rate of the fetus can be determined; multiple pregnancies detected; and certain problems, such as neural tube defects, diagnosed. Scans may be taken early in pregnancy if problems, such as an ectopic pregnancy, are suspected.

Ultrasound scanning can also be used in newborn babies to examine the brain through a gap in the skull (for example, to investigate hydrocephalus). Ultrasound can help to diagnose disorders such as cirrhosis, gallstones, hydronephrosis, and pancreatitis, as well as problems in the thyroid gland, breasts, bladder, testes, ovaries, spleen, and eyes. The technique is also used during needle biopsy to help guide the needle.Doppler ultrasound is a modified form of ultrasound that uses the Doppler effect to investigate moving objects.

This can be used to examine the fetal heartbeat and to obtain information about the rate of blood flow in vessels.... ultrasound scanning

Bone Scan

an imaging investigation of a patient’s bone using radioactive *tracers. *Technetium-99m phosphate is injected intravenously and absorbed into the hydroxyapatite crystals of bone. It concentrates in areas of increased blood flow and metabolism, such as areas of infection, trauma, and *neoplasia, and gives off radiation that can be detected by a *gamma camera, thereby producing a map or scan of activity in the target area. A bone scan is particularly useful in the diagnosis of subtle fractures (including stress fractures), avascular necrosis (see osteonecrosis), osteomyelitis, tumour spread (metastasis), and loosening of orthopaedic implants.... bone scan

Myocardial Perfusion Scan

(thallium scan) a method to detect and quantify myocardial *ischaemia. An intravenously injected *radionuclide that is taken up by normal heart muscle can be imaged using a *gamma camera. Areas of scar due to *myocardial infarction emit little or no radioactivity and are seen as ‘cold spots’. Exercise is mimicked by infusing drugs to increase the heart rate in order to provoke cold spots in the diagnosis of ischaemic heart disease.... myocardial perfusion scan

Nuchal Translucency Scanning

(NT scanning) an ultrasound screening test performed during pregnancy at 11 weeks of gestation that measures the maximum thickness of the translucency between the skin and the soft tissue overlying the cervical (neck) region of the spine of the fetus. Increased NT is associated with an increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities and of a wide variety of structural abnormalities (e.g. heart defects). See also ultrasound marker.... nuchal translucency scanning

Perfusion Scan

a technique for demonstrating an abnormal blood supply to an organ by injecting a radioactive *tracer or *contrast medium. One of the most common uses, often in conjunction with ventilation scanning (see ventilation-perfusion scanning), is to detect obstruction of pulmonary arteries due to embolism by thrombus (see pulmonary embolism). Particles labelled with radioactive tracer are injected intravenously and become temporarily lodged in the capillaries in the lungs. Areas not being perfused show up as holes on the gamma-camera images. In *magnetic resonance imaging or *computerized tomography, contrast medium is injected and a series of images is obtained. The rate of change of enhancement is an index of the blood supply to the area of interest. This technique can be used to study blood supply to the brain, heart, or kidneys (in particular), to help diagnose arterial strictures or blockages, or tumours in which blood supply may be increased by abnormal vessels.... perfusion scan

Pet/ct Scanning

an imaging system that allows a PET scan (see positron emission tomography) and a CT scan (see computerized tomography) to be performed very close together, with minimal movement of the patient between scans. This means that the images produced can be co-registered (see co-registration), giving very accurate anatomical localization (from the CT scan) of areas of increased activity (identified on the PET scan). This is very important for determining the site of disease in order to plan treatment.... pet/ct scanning

Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope

see ophthalmoscope.... scanning laser ophthalmoscope

Sestamibi Parathyroid Scan

(in *nuclear medicine) a scan that can help to localize the site of a parathyroid adenoma before surgical removal, to treat primary *hyperparathyroidism. The tracer is technetium-99m-labelled sestamibi (a small protein), which is selectively absorbed by overactive parathyroid glands.... sestamibi parathyroid scan

Spect Scanning

(single photon emission computing tomography) (in nuclear medicine) a *cross-sectional imaging technique for observing an organ or part of the body using a *gamma camera; images are produced after injecting a radioactive *tracer. The camera is rotated around the patient being scanned. Using a computer reconstruction *algorithm similar to that of a *computerized tomography scanner, multiple ‘slices’ are made through the area of interest. SPECT scanning is used particularly in cardiac nuclear medicine imaging (see MUGA scan). It differs from PET scanning in that radioactive decay gives off only a single gamma ray.... spect scanning

Spiral Ct Scanning

(helical CT scanning) a development of conventional *computerized tomography (CT) scanning in which the X-ray tube rotates continuously around the patient as he or she passes through the scanner. This allows the acquisition of images throughout a specified volume of tissue much more quickly. Since these images are digitally acquired (see digitization), *post-processing can produce images in numerous planes, without further exposure of the patient to ionizing radiation. See also multidetector computerized tomography.... spiral ct scanning

Thallium-technetium Isotope Subtraction Imaging

a technique to image the parathyroid glands. Technetium is taken up only by the thyroid gland, but thallium is taken up by both the thyroid and parathyroid glands. *Digital subtraction of the two isotopes leaves an image of the parathyroid glands alone. It is an accurate technique (90%) for the identification of adenomas of the parathyroid glands secreting excess hormone.... thallium-technetium isotope subtraction imaging

Ventilation-perfusion Scanning

(V/Q scanning) a nuclear medicine technique in which two different isotopes are used, one inhaled (usually *xenon-133 or *krypton-81m), to examine lung ventilation, and the other injected into a vein, to examine lung perfusion. In *pulmonary embolism, the area of lung supplied by the blocked artery is not being perfused with blood – which gives a perfusion defect on the film – but has normal ventilation. This technique is highly sensitive for pulmonary embolism.... ventilation-perfusion scanning



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