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Single-Photon-Emitting Radiopharmaceuticals

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Nuclear Medicine Textbook

Abstract

A radiopharmaceutical consists of a biochemical core linked to a radionuclide emitting radioactive signal that can be detected from outside the body providing funcional information. Imaging with singlephoton-emitting radionuclides (radioisotopes of elements) produces both planar images and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using a gamma camera. Radiopharmaceuticals labeled with positron-emitting radionuclides are used for positron emission tomography imaging (as described in Chap. 3 of this book “Positron-emitting radiopharmaceuticals”), while radiopharmaceuticals emitting predominantly β or α-particles are used for therapeutic purposes (as described in Chap. 4 of this book). The diagnostic information provided by scintigraphic images derives from the specific distribution of a radiopharmaceutical within the body. The chemical and physical characteristics of a radiopharmaceutical are the main factors determining its accumulation and retention in normal and diseased tissues of the organism. The radionuclides most frequently used for diagnostic applications in conventional nuclear medicine are the isotopes of technetium, iodine, indium, gallium, and thallium. This chapter classifies radiopharmaceuticals according to radionuclide used for labeling and to the main mechanism(s) of tissue localization responsible for the specific distribution properties of the imaging agent.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    DOTA = tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear Medicine Unit, “Maggiore della Carità” University Hospital, Novara, Italy

    Federica Orsini & Erinda Puta

  2. Regional Center of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Translational Research and Advanced Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Federica Guidoccio & Giuliano Mariani

Authors
  1. Federica Orsini
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  2. Erinda Puta
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  3. Federica Guidoccio
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  4. Giuliano Mariani
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Federica Orsini .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Regional Center of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Translational Research and Advanced Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Duccio Volterrani

  2. Regional Center of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Translational Research and Advanced Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Paola Anna Erba

  3. Hosp. Sant Pau, Nuclear Medicine Department, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Ignasi Carrió

  4. Molecular Imaging and Therapy Department, Cornell University Weill, New York, NY, USA

    H. William Strauss

  5. Regional Center of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Translational Research and Advanced Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Giuliano Mariani

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Orsini, F., Puta, E., Guidoccio, F., Mariani, G. (2019). Single-Photon-Emitting Radiopharmaceuticals. In: Volterrani, D., Erba, P.A., Carrió, I., Strauss, H.W., Mariani, G. (eds) Nuclear Medicine Textbook. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95564-3_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95564-3_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-95563-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-95564-3

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