Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicine uses small amounts of radioactive materials (tracers) to help diagnose and treat a variety of diseases. Nuclear medicine determines the cause of the medical problem based on the function of the organ, tissue or bone. This is how nuclear medicine differs from an x-ray, ultrasound or any other diagnostic test that determines the presence of disease based on structural appearance.

One of the tests we perform is a PET/CT scan. Positron emission tomography (PET) provides information about the body's function. Computed tomography (CT) provides a detailed picture of the body’s anatomical structures. Having both pieces of information allows us to more effectively diagnose and treat diseases.

To refer a patient to Nuclear Medicine at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, please download our referral form or call us at (650) 723-6855.