Scrotal Nuclear Medicine Scan

Overview :

A radioisotope, technetium-99, combined in a chemical (pertechnate) is injected intravenously while the patient is under a special machine that detects radiation. This radiation detector, called a gamma camera, scans the scrotum at one minute intervals for about five minutes, then less often for another 10 or 15 minutes. It then creates pictures (either x ray or polaroid) that reveal where the isotope went in the scrotum. Since both sides are scanned, even greater accuracy is obtained by comparison.