Scintigraphic evaluation of the kidney

There are more than one technique used to evaluate the kidney, besides the standard ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), there is also renal scintigraphy. The renal nuclear medicine procedures are grouped as in vitro (urine counting wells, basic probe detectors for clearance studies) and in vivo procedures (static and/or dynamic examinations done with planar gamma cameras, and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to determine kidney parameters or for cortical imaging). Renal scintigraphy has been a useful tool, since the early 1950s, in the diagnosis and management of many pathological changes (e.g. obstructive/nonobstructive uropathies, renal inflammatory diseases, tumours, renal hypertension, and renal transplant viability). [1] the kidney, especially in measuring function renal in INTRODUCTION The radionuclide investigation of the kidney includes detection of renal afflictions and measurements of quantitative indices that estimate the renal perfusion and function. Ultrasound and computed tomography are commonly used for the evaluation of renal structural anatomy, and the role of nuclear renal imaging in is more for functional analysis, anatomical imaging (e.g. cortical imaging).[1,2] less radionuclide imaging” or Renal scintigraphy, also known as a “renal scan” or “renal “renography” includes various investigations that use different radioisotopes to evaluate renal blood flow, renal split function, and the renal excretion performance of both. It yields specific and often unachievable information by using other imaging procedures. [2] Clinical indications for renal scintigraphy (adapted from Nuclear Medicine: The Requisites, 4th ed): [3-5] 1. Blood flow abnormalities 26 lesion and a 2. Function quantification (reduced performance of one or both kidneys) a. Differential function b. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR), effective renal plasma flow (EPRF) 3. Cirrhosis of the kidney(s) 4. Differentiation between a mass column of Bertin 5. In infants with abnormalities of the urinary tract to study the urinary flow 6. Obstruction: ureteropelvic junction, ureteral 7. Pyelonephritis: both acute and chronic tubule- interstitial nephritis and parenchymal scarring 8. Renal failure: acute and chronic 9. Renal artery stenosis with/without renovascular hypertension 10. Renal vein thrombosis 11. Surgical: 1 Carol Davila Central Emergency Military Hospital, Bucharest