Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Purpose
Risk/Contraindications
Before
During
After
Results
Single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) scans use radioactive materials and a specially designed camera to produce three-dimensional images of your organs and tissues.
This type of imaging provides a non-invasive way for healthcare providers to evaluate the health of certain parts of your body, most commonly the heart, brain, and bones.
Read on to learn why your healthcare provider may order this, who shouldn’t have a SPECT scan, what to expect if you get one done, and how the results are interpreted.
The Purpose of a SPECT Scan
SPECT scans can be used for a variety of purposes, which is why they’re readily available at most hospitals, clinics, and imaging centers.
Some of the reasons your healthcare provider may choose to order this test include the suspicion or need for monitoring of:
SPECT, like other nuclear scans, uses radioactive tracers—carrier molecules that are bonded with radioactive atoms, to evaluate, diagnose, and treat a range of illnesses.
Different tracers perform different functions. Your healthcare provider will choose the tracer that’s appropriate for you depending on your symptoms or disease that’s being be evaluated.
Brain and Neurological Conditions
SPECT scans can be used to gather information about changes in brain function due to disease processes,including:
Cardiac Conditions
Radioactive tracers used during a SPECT scan can capture how well your heart is working, and, ultimately, health problems that may be affecting the heart.Some of the issues it can detect include:
Bone Disorders
SPECT scans can be useful in bone disorders because areas of concern will often “light up” on the images. The conditions that can be explored using this technology include:
Risk and Contraindications
Most people tolerate SPECT scans well, but there may be some instances when the test would be ill-advised. Your healthcare provider may optnotto perform this test for the following reasons:
Radiation RiskSince the SPECT scan does use a low dose of radiation, talk with your healthcare provider if you have any concerns about your risk of exposure. No long-term health risks have been associated with using this method of imaging.
Radiation Risk
Since the SPECT scan does use a low dose of radiation, talk with your healthcare provider if you have any concerns about your risk of exposure. No long-term health risks have been associated with using this method of imaging.
Before the Test
What you may need to do to prepare for the scan can differ depending on the reason you’re having it done. Your healthcare team should give you specific guidelines for preparation. If you’re unsure, ask.
Timing
Ask your medical team about the amount of time you should set aside for the scan. Some take about 30 minutes, with others may require more or less time depending on the reason for the SPECT scan.
Location
What to Wear
You can wear what you want for the procedure, but you’ll likely be asked to change into a gown before the scan. You may find that casual, loose-fitting clothing is a comfortable choice for the test.
Leave metal items, like watches, jewelry, and earrings, at home.
Food and Drink
Your healthcare team will let you know if the scan requires you to avoid certain foods or drinks.
For example, if you have a SPECT scan for cardiac reasons, you may need to avoid caffeine for several hours before the test.
Cost and Health Insurance
Your insurance may require prior authorization in order to cover your SPECT scan. Be sure to check with the company on whether and to what extent the scan is covered so you’ll know what, if any, costs you’ll need to cover.
SPECT scans, without insurance coverage, can cost over $1,000.
What to Bring
Bring your insurance card, a form of identification, and any paperwork you’ve been asked to fill out before the scan.
Other Considerations
Make sure your healthcare provider has a current list of all the medications, including over-the-counter products and supplements, that you’re taking. They may want you to stop taking certain ones before the procedure.
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you’re pregnant or nursing.
During the Test
The test consists of two parts: injecting the radioactive tracer and the SPECT scan itself.
Pre-Test
An intravenous (IV) line will be inserted into your arm. The radioactive tracer will then be injected via the IV. You may feel a cold sensation as the tracer flows into your bloodstream.
The wait could be as short as 20 minutes. In some cases, though, it could take hours or days for the absorption to happen. Your medical team will provide you with information on this process.
Throughout the Test
During the scan, you’ll be asked to lie on a table. The camera will rotate around your body, creating three-dimensional images of your internal organs and tissues.
The scan doesn’t cause pain, so if you experience pain or discomfort, be sure to let your healthcare provider or technician know so that they can help you get more comfortable.
Post-Test
Once the scan is completed, you can usually leave and resume your daily activities right away.
After the Test
Staying hydrated will help your body flush out the remaining portion of the radioactive tracer over the next couple of days.
Interpreting the Results of a SPECT Scan
Your results aren’t likely to be ready immediately. A radiologist or nuclear medicine physician needs to evaluate the results and report the findings to your healthcare provider.
Your healthcare provider or a member of their staff will contact you to talk about the results and whether additional testing is needed.
One thing to keep in mind is that you canrequest copiesof your SPECT scan images and the report for your personal records, or if you’d like to get a second opinion.
The nature of any follow-up you may need after your SPECT scan depends on what, if anything, the test discovered. Be sure to ask your healthcare provider whether you’ll need any further diagnostic testing, monitoring, or appointments based on the findings.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Nuclear MedicineKlein R, Celiker-Guler E, Rotstein BH, deKemp RA.PET and SPECT tracers for myocardial perfusion imaging.Seminars in Nuclear Medicine. 2020;50(3):208-218. doi:10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2020.02.016Raji CA, Tarzwell R, Pavel D, et al.Clinical Utility of SPECT neuroimaging in the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury: A systematic review.PLOS ONE.2014;9(3):e91088.. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0091088American Heart Association.Single photon emission computed tomography.Israel O, Pellet O, Biassoni L, et al.Two decades of SPECT/CT – the coming of age of a technology: An updated review of literature evidence.Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2019;46(10):1990-2012. doi:10.1007/s00259-019-04404-6Yandrapalli S, Puckett Y.SPECT Imaging. StatPearls [Internet].Additional ReadingAmerican Heart Association,Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Nuclear MedicineKlein R, Celiker-Guler E, Rotstein BH, deKemp RA.PET and SPECT tracers for myocardial perfusion imaging.Seminars in Nuclear Medicine. 2020;50(3):208-218. doi:10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2020.02.016Raji CA, Tarzwell R, Pavel D, et al.Clinical Utility of SPECT neuroimaging in the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury: A systematic review.PLOS ONE.2014;9(3):e91088.. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0091088American Heart Association.Single photon emission computed tomography.Israel O, Pellet O, Biassoni L, et al.Two decades of SPECT/CT – the coming of age of a technology: An updated review of literature evidence.Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2019;46(10):1990-2012. doi:10.1007/s00259-019-04404-6Yandrapalli S, Puckett Y.SPECT Imaging. StatPearls [Internet].Additional ReadingAmerican Heart Association,Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Nuclear MedicineKlein R, Celiker-Guler E, Rotstein BH, deKemp RA.PET and SPECT tracers for myocardial perfusion imaging.Seminars in Nuclear Medicine. 2020;50(3):208-218. doi:10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2020.02.016Raji CA, Tarzwell R, Pavel D, et al.Clinical Utility of SPECT neuroimaging in the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury: A systematic review.PLOS ONE.2014;9(3):e91088.. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0091088American Heart Association.Single photon emission computed tomography.Israel O, Pellet O, Biassoni L, et al.Two decades of SPECT/CT – the coming of age of a technology: An updated review of literature evidence.Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2019;46(10):1990-2012. doi:10.1007/s00259-019-04404-6Yandrapalli S, Puckett Y.SPECT Imaging. StatPearls [Internet].
National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Nuclear Medicine
Klein R, Celiker-Guler E, Rotstein BH, deKemp RA.PET and SPECT tracers for myocardial perfusion imaging.Seminars in Nuclear Medicine. 2020;50(3):208-218. doi:10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2020.02.016
Raji CA, Tarzwell R, Pavel D, et al.Clinical Utility of SPECT neuroimaging in the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury: A systematic review.PLOS ONE.2014;9(3):e91088.. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0091088
American Heart Association.Single photon emission computed tomography.
Israel O, Pellet O, Biassoni L, et al.Two decades of SPECT/CT – the coming of age of a technology: An updated review of literature evidence.Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2019;46(10):1990-2012. doi:10.1007/s00259-019-04404-6
Yandrapalli S, Puckett Y.SPECT Imaging. StatPearls [Internet].
American Heart Association,Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
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