Gallium Scan

What is Gallium Scan?

There are 2 types of Gallium Scan as follows:-

1.  Gallium Scan for Inflammation, in conditions such as sarcoidosis, vertebral disk space infection, osteomyelitis, and pneumocystic pneumonia.

2.  Gallium Scan for assessing the extent of involvement in malignances such as Hodgkin’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, hepatoma, lung cancer and melanoma and in patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or Hodgkin’s disease to determine the effectiveness of therapy


How is it done?

1.  GA-67 will be injected intravenously.  Images will be taken at 24 hrs, 48 hrs and 72 hrs after the injection.

2.  GA-67 will be injected intravenously.  Images will be taken at 48 hrs and 72 hours after the injection.


Why is it done?

1.  To assess the extent of involvement in malignancies such as Hodgkin’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, hepatoma, lung cancer and melanoma.

2.  To use in patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or Hodgkin’s disease to determine the effectiveness of therapy.


Risks & complications

-  Because the doses of radiopharmaceutical administered are very small, nuclear medicine procedures result in exposure to a small dose of radiation. Nuclear medicine has been used for more than five decades, and there are no known long-term adverse effects from such low-dose studies.

-  As with all radiologic procedures, be sure to inform your physician if you are pregnant. In general, exposure to radiation during pregnancy should be kept to a minimum.

-  Allergic reactions to the radiopharmaceutical can occur, but are extremely rare.