title: Scintigraphic techniques for hepatic imaging. Update for 2000.
abstract: Nuclear medicine continues to evolve from a generic imaging approach to a collection of imaging techniques that are disease-specific. In-111 octreotide SPECT scan has quickly become the method of choice to image gastrinoma. A number of other agents have a role in other tumor models. FDG imaging of the liver is in its infancy, but has potential to outperform anatomic methods (CT scan, MR imaging), particularly in the detection of colorectal cancer metastases. The imaging of FDG in nuclear medicine involves rapidly evolving technology and has the potential to diffuse to the community level practice. To further face the controversial areas head on, another problem for nuclear medicine's role in hepatic imaging remains its somewhat separate existence from radiology. Frequently, the abdominal imager or the general radiologist is in the best position to recommend a scintigraphic liver study. A broad knowledge of these techniques by all radiologists is essential for their ultimate success.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Shands Hospital, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Drane
mesh_terms: D003287:Contrast Media; D015902:Gamma Cameras; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media