Health Dictionary
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Gallium imaging
Introduction
Overview
Gallium imaging is a nuclear medicine method for the detection of infections and cancers. Radioactive gallium-67 binds to transferrin, leukocyte lactoferrin, bacterial siderophores, and inflammatory proteins. It is also taken up by cancer cells in an increased amount. An increased uptake and, thus, increased radiation levels, indicates an infection or cancer.
Gallium imaging is becoming an obsolete technique, with indium leukocyte imaging and technetium antigranulocyte antibodies replacing it as a detection mechanism for infections. For detection of tumors, especially lymphoma, it is still in use, but is likely to be replaced by PET imaging in the future.