
The Nuclear Medicine team aims to provide a high quality imaging and therapy service to the people of Liverpool and the surrounding areas. Our specialist services also attract referrals from further afield.
We try to book appointments in a timely and flexible manner to help patients access our service as easily and quickly as possible.
The Nuclear Medicine Unit comprises several specialties. See below for what it is we do.
Nuclear Medicine uses small amounts of radioactive substances like Technetium (Tc99m) to look at images of the function of certain parts of the body to allow doctors to diagnose conditions. We use a machine called a gamma camera to take these images.
Some of the images we produce are of:
In the Nuclear Medicine department in addition to the gamma cameras and the PET CT scanner we have a laboratory that performs non imaging blood tests.
We perform a variety of tests:
Red cell and Plasma volume estimation (RCPV) - This is a test that allows us to measure how many red blood cells a patient has and the amount of fluid they are in. It involves two radioactive injections into a vein in the arm and several blood samples. This test can identify a condition called Polycythemia Rubra Vera.
GFR using Cr51 EDTA - This is a test to look at kidney function. It can be important to know a patient's renal (kidney) function before they start on a course of treatment that may have a potentially damaging effect on the kidneys.This involves a radioactive injection into a vein in the arm followed by three blood samples.
Gastrointestinal Blood loss measurement - This is a test that allows us to measure whether there is blood loss from the bowel that could be causing anaemia.The test involves an injection of a radioactive solution into a vein in the arm followed by a stool collection for several days afterwards.
Nuclear Medicine at the Royal Liverpool Hospital provides a comprehensive regional thyroid service.
We hold a consultant led thyroid clinic twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in 'N' clinic on the ground floor of the hospital.
Diagnosis
There are several diagnostic investigations that are performed during the clinic attendances. These involve blood tests, isotope thyroid scans and thyroid uptake tests.
Patients can be referred to the clinic for several reasons:
Therapy
We provide an outpatient therapy service for patients suffering from an over-active thyroid gland. Click here for information about thyroid therapy for an overactive thyroid.
We also treat thyroid cancer patients post surgery on an inpatient basis.
Nuclear Cardiology is the branch of Nuclear Medicine that looks at the condition of heart muscle and how well it functions.
We can look at the heart in different ways:
Myocardial perfusion imaging after rest and stress. This is performed to show the blood flow to the heart muscle. This is performed on a gamma camera.
Reasons to perform this are:
Muga scanning (multi-gated aquisition)
This is a test that shows how well the heart is beating. It can show if the heart is beating evenly and efficiently. It is performed on a gamma camera.
Reasons to perform this are:
Myocardial Viability
This is a test to look at the condition of the heart muscle. It can be performed on a gamma camera or a PET CT machine.
Our PET CT scanner is the first static scanner in Merseyside and Cheshire. The £1.8 million state of the art scanner is being used to diagnose certain types of cancer and other diseases.
We perform a variety of scans on this machine.
Research
This machine is used for a variety of research projects. We work with other specialists within the Royal Liverpool Hospital and also Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology to look at new ways to image certain conditions and new ways to treat them.
The DEXA (Bone Density) unit is based in the Radiology department (X-ray) but is a part of the Nuclear Medicine department. The scans are performed by a nuclear medicine radiographer and reported by nuclear medicine Physicians.
A DEXA scanner uses x-rays to assess the bone mass of a patient. A patient lies on a couch and measurements of the hip and the lower spine are taken.
The level of bone mass can tell doctors if the patient has osteoporosis, osteopaenia or a normal level of bone density. It is important to know these figures to know the risk of the patient having a fracture.
A dexa scan of a hip and spine.
If you think you may require any of these investigations talk to your GP or Hospital Specialist.
See separate section for Neuroendocrine Service
Nuclear Medicine uses small amounts of radioactive substances to look at how certain parts of the body are working.
This page gives more information about this work.
Nuclear Medicine uses small amounts of radioactive substances like Technetium (Tc99m) to look at images of the function of certain parts of the body to allow doctors to diagnose conditions. We use a machine called a gamma camera to take these images.
Some of the images we produce are of:
In the Nuclear Medicine department in addition to the gamma cameras and the PET CT scanner we have a laboratory that performs non imaging blood tests.
We perform a variety of tests:
Red cell and Plasma volume estimation (RCPV) - This is a test that allows us to measure how many red blood cells a patient has and the amount of fluid they are in. It involves two radioactive injections into a vein in the arm and several blood samples. This test can identify a condition called Polycythemia Rubra Vera.
GFR using Cr51 EDTA - This is a test to look at kidney function. It can be important to know a patient's renal (kidney) function before they start on a course of treatment that may have a potentially damaging effect on the kidneys.This involves a radioactive injection into a vein in the arm followed by three blood samples.
Gastrointestinal Blood loss measurement - This is a test that allows us to measure whether there is blood loss from the bowel that could be causing anaemia.The test involves an injection of a radioactive solution into a vein in the arm followed by a stool collection for several days afterwards.
Nuclear Medicine at the Royal Liverpool Hospital provides a comprehensive regional thyroid service.
We hold a consultant led thyroid clinic twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in 'N' clinic on the ground floor of the hospital.
Diagnosis
There are several diagnostic investigations that are performed during the clinic attendances. These involve blood tests, isotope thyroid scans and thyroid uptake tests.
Patients can be referred to the clinic for several reasons:
Therapy
We provide an outpatient therapy service for patients suffering from an over-active thyroid gland. Click here for information about thyroid therapy for an overactive thyroid.
We also treat thyroid cancer patients post surgery on an inpatient basis.
Nuclear Cardiology is the branch of Nuclear Medicine that looks at the condition of heart muscle and how well it functions.
We can look at the heart in different ways:
Myocardial perfusion imaging after rest and stress. This is performed to show the blood flow to the heart muscle. This is performed on a gamma camera.
Reasons to perform this are:
Muga scanning (multi-gated aquisition)
This is a test that shows how well the heart is beating. It can show if the heart is beating evenly and efficiently. It is performed on a gamma camera.
Reasons to perform this are:
Myocardial Viability
This is a test to look at the condition of the heart muscle. It can be performed on a gamma camera or a PET CT machine.
Our PET CT scanner is the first static scanner in Merseyside and Cheshire. The £1.8 million state of the art scanner is being used to diagnose certain types of cancer and other diseases.
We perform a variety of scans on this machine.
Research
This machine is used for a variety of research projects. We work with other specialists within the Royal Liverpool Hospital and also Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology to look at new ways to image certain conditions and new ways to treat them.
The DEXA (Bone Density) unit is based in the Radiology department (X-ray) but is a part of the Nuclear Medicine department. The scans are performed by a nuclear medicine radiographer and reported by nuclear medicine Physicians.
A DEXA scanner uses x-rays to assess the bone mass of a patient. A patient lies on a couch and measurements of the hip and the lower spine are taken.
The level of bone mass can tell doctors if the patient has osteoporosis, osteopaenia or a normal level of bone density. It is important to know these figures to know the risk of the patient having a fracture.
A dexa scan of a hip and spine.
If you think you may require any of these investigations talk to your GP or Hospital Specialist.
See separate section for Neuroendocrine Service
The Nuclear Medicine team is multidisciplinary consisting of:
Visit the British Thyroid Association website here
Visit the British Thyroid Foundation website here
Visit the The British Nuclear Medicine Society website here
Visit the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine website here
Visit the British Nuclear Cardiology Society website here
Visit the British Institute of Radiology website here