Single-photon

Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a nuclear medicine tomographic imaging technique using gamma rays. It provides 3D information as opposed to the 2D information provided by a conventional gamma camera. It is similar to conventional nuclear medicine planar imaging using a gamma camera (that is, scintigraphy), but can provide true 3D information.

Procedure

The patient is injected with a gamma-emitting radioisotope, which is taken up by the organ or tissue of interest. The gamma camera captures emitted radiation, and the computer attached to it reconstructs 3D images.

Applications

SPECT can be used to complement any gamma imaging study, where a true 3D representation can be helpful, such as tumor imaging, heart imaging, and brain imaging.

Advantages and Disadvantages

SPECT imaging is less expensive and more widely available than PET imaging. However, the images obtained by SPECT are less detailed and have a lower resolution than those obtained by PET.

See Also

• Nuclear medicine
• PET
• Gamma camera
• Scintigraphy

References

Single-photon Resources
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