Liver/Spleen Scan

The liver-spleen scan is a safe, non-invasive way to evaluate the shape, size, and position or your liver and spleen, and a good screening method for detecting liver disease. There are no dietary restrictions either before or after the liver-spleen scan. However, you should have had no previous barium gastrointestinal study in the past week. The examination does require an injection through a vein in your arm. This injection consists of a very small amount of radioactive material. The radioactivity associated with this test is negligible and you will feel no ill effects from it.

Approximate exam time 1 hour.

To outline our requirements, you will:

1. After registration report to Medical Imaging and check in with our receptionist.
2. You will then be escorted to Nuclear Medicine and a short history will be taken.
3. You will then receive an injection through a vein in the arm.
4. Your imaging will begin after a delay period of about 10 minutes in order for the radiopharmaceutical to be absorbed by the liver.
5. Imaging will take approximately 20 - 30 minutes.
6. The scan will consist of several views of your liver taken with you lying down.
7. Once the imaging is complete you may leave.
8. The Radiologist will read the images and the report will be sent to the ordering physician

Note: Inpatients will transported to Nuclear Medicine.