SPECTtomografian

SPECTtomografian, or Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography, is a nuclear medicine imaging technique. It produces cross-sectional images of the body by detecting gamma rays emitted from a radiopharmaceutical that has been introduced into the patient. The radiopharmaceutical is a tracer that accumulates in specific organs or tissues depending on the medical condition being investigated. A gamma camera, often mounted on a rotating gantry, detects the emitted photons. As the camera rotates around the patient, it collects data from multiple angles. A computer then reconstructs this data into tomographic images, essentially slices through the body, which can be viewed in three dimensions. This allows for the visualization of physiological processes, such as blood flow, metabolic activity, and receptor distribution, rather than just anatomical structures. SPECT is widely used in cardiology to assess heart muscle damage, in neurology to evaluate brain function and detect conditions like Alzheimer's disease, and in oncology for staging and monitoring cancer. The choice of radiopharmaceutical is crucial for SPECT imaging and is tailored to the specific clinical question.