BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuGallium scanLiver gallium scan; Bony gallium scanA gallium scan is a test to look for swelling (inflammation), infection, or cancer in the body. It uses a radioactive material called gallium and is a type of nuclear medicine exam.Nuclear medicineA positron emission tomography (PET) scan is a type of imaging test. It uses a radioactive substance called a tracer to look for disease in the body...Read Article Now Book Mark Article A related test is a gallium scan of the lung. Gallium scan of the lungLung gallium scan is a type of nuclear scan that uses radioactive gallium to identify inflammation in the lungs.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article How the Test is Performed You will get gallium injected into your vein. Gallium is a radioactive material. The gallium travels through the bloodstream and collects in the bones and certain organs.Your health care provider will tell you to return at a later time to be scanned. The scan will take place 6 to 48 hours after the gallium is injected. The test time depends on what condition your doctor is looking for. In some cases, people are scanned more than once. You will lie on your back on the scanner table. A special camera detects where the gallium has gathered in the body.You must lie still during the scan, which takes 30 to 60 minutes. How to Prepare for the Test Stool in the bowel can interfere with the test. You may need to take a laxative the night before you have the test. Or, you may get an enema 1 to 2 hours before the test. You may eat and drink liquids normally. You will need to sign a consent form. You will need to take off all jewelry and metal objects before the test. How the Test will Feel You will feel a sharp prick when you get the injection. The site may be sore for a few minutes.The hardest part of the scan is holding still. The scan itself is painless. The technician can help make you comfortable before the scan begins. Why the Test is Performed This test is rarely performed. It may be done to look for the cause of a fever that has lasted a few weeks without an explanation. Normal Results Gallium normally collects in bones, the liver, spleen, the large bowel, and breast tissue. What Abnormal Results Mean Gallium detected outside normal areas can be a sign of:Infection Inflammation Tumors, including Hodgkin disease or non-Hodgkin lymphomaHodgkin diseaseHodgkin lymphoma is a cancer of lymph tissue. Lymph tissue is found in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, bone marrow, and other sites.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Non-Hodgkin lymphomaNon-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is cancer of the lymph tissue. Lymph tissue is found in the lymph nodes, spleen, and other organs of the immune system. W...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article The test may be done to look for lung conditions such as:Primary pulmonary hypertension Pulmonary hypertensionPulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs. It makes the right side of the heart work harder than normal.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Pulmonary embolus Pulmonary embolusA pulmonary embolus is a blockage of an artery in the lungs. The most common cause of the blockage is a blood clot.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Respiratory infections, most often Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia Sarcoidosis SarcoidosisSarcoidosis is a disease in which inflammation occurs in the lymph nodes, lungs, liver, eyes, skin, and/or other tissues.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Scleroderma of the lung SclerodermaScleroderma is a disease that involves the buildup of fibrous tissue in the skin and elsewhere in the body. It also damages the cells that line the ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Tumors in the lung Risks There is a small risk for radiation exposure. This risk is less than that with x-rays or CT scans. Pregnant or nursing women and young children should avoid radiation exposure if at all possible.x-raysX-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light. An x-ray machine sends individual x-ray waves through the body. The images...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Considerations Not all cancers show up on a gallium scan. Areas of inflammation, such as recent surgical scars, may show up on the scan. However, they do not necessarily indicate an infection. Open ReferencesReferencesContreras F, Perez J, Jose J. Imaging overview. In: Miller MD, Thompson SR, eds. DeLee, Drez, & Miller's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 7.Harisinghani MG, Chen JW, Weissleder R. Imaging physics. In: Harisinghani MG, Chen JW, Weissleder R, eds. Primer of Diagnostic Imaging. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 14.Seabold JE, Palestro CJ, Brown ML, et al. Society of nuclear medicine procedure guideline for gallium scintigraphy in inflammation.The Society of Nuclear Medicine. Version 3.0. s3.amazonaws.com/rdcms-snmmi/files/production/public/docs/Gallium_Scintigraphy_in_Inflammation_v3.pdf. Approved June 2, 2004. Accessed September 30, 2022.Squires JH, Narayanan S, Tadros S. Fundamentals of pediatric radiology. In: Zitelli BJ, McIntire SC, Nowalk AJ, Garrison J, eds. Zitelli and Davis' Atlas of Pediatric Physical Diagnosis. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 25. AllVideoImagesTogGallium injection - illustration The gallium scan is a type of nuclear scan involving radioactive gallium which helps determine whether a patient has inflammation in the lungs. Gallium is injected in a vein and a series of x-rays are taken to identify where the gallium has accumulated in the lungs. This test is most often performed when there is evidence of inflammation in the lungs (sarcoidosis).Gallium injectionillustrationGallium injection - illustration The gallium scan is a type of nuclear scan involving radioactive gallium which helps determine whether a patient has inflammation in the lungs. Gallium is injected in a vein and a series of x-rays are taken to identify where the gallium has accumulated in the lungs. This test is most often performed when there is evidence of inflammation in the lungs (sarcoidosis).Gallium injectionillustration Tests for Gallium scan Gallium scanLung gallium scanRelated Information PET scan(Medical Test)CT scan(Medical Test)Hodgkin lymphoma(Condition)Non-Hodgkin lymphoma(Condition)Hodgkin disease - InDepth(In-Depth)Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 7/5/2022 Reviewed By: Jason Levy, MD, FSIR, Northside Radiology Associates, Atlanta, GA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. 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Gallium scanLiver gallium scan; Bony gallium scanA gallium scan is a test to look for swelling (inflammation), infection, or cancer in the body. It uses a radioactive material called gallium and is a type of nuclear medicine exam.Nuclear medicineA positron emission tomography (PET) scan is a type of imaging test. It uses a radioactive substance called a tracer to look for disease in the body...Read Article Now Book Mark Article A related test is a gallium scan of the lung. Gallium scan of the lungLung gallium scan is a type of nuclear scan that uses radioactive gallium to identify inflammation in the lungs.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article How the Test is Performed You will get gallium injected into your vein. Gallium is a radioactive material. The gallium travels through the bloodstream and collects in the bones and certain organs.Your health care provider will tell you to return at a later time to be scanned. The scan will take place 6 to 48 hours after the gallium is injected. The test time depends on what condition your doctor is looking for. In some cases, people are scanned more than once. You will lie on your back on the scanner table. A special camera detects where the gallium has gathered in the body.You must lie still during the scan, which takes 30 to 60 minutes. How to Prepare for the Test Stool in the bowel can interfere with the test. You may need to take a laxative the night before you have the test. Or, you may get an enema 1 to 2 hours before the test. You may eat and drink liquids normally. You will need to sign a consent form. You will need to take off all jewelry and metal objects before the test. How the Test will Feel You will feel a sharp prick when you get the injection. The site may be sore for a few minutes.The hardest part of the scan is holding still. The scan itself is painless. The technician can help make you comfortable before the scan begins. Why the Test is Performed This test is rarely performed. It may be done to look for the cause of a fever that has lasted a few weeks without an explanation. Normal Results Gallium normally collects in bones, the liver, spleen, the large bowel, and breast tissue. What Abnormal Results Mean Gallium detected outside normal areas can be a sign of:Infection Inflammation Tumors, including Hodgkin disease or non-Hodgkin lymphomaHodgkin diseaseHodgkin lymphoma is a cancer of lymph tissue. Lymph tissue is found in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, bone marrow, and other sites.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Non-Hodgkin lymphomaNon-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is cancer of the lymph tissue. Lymph tissue is found in the lymph nodes, spleen, and other organs of the immune system. W...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article The test may be done to look for lung conditions such as:Primary pulmonary hypertension Pulmonary hypertensionPulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs. It makes the right side of the heart work harder than normal.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Pulmonary embolus Pulmonary embolusA pulmonary embolus is a blockage of an artery in the lungs. The most common cause of the blockage is a blood clot.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Respiratory infections, most often Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia Sarcoidosis SarcoidosisSarcoidosis is a disease in which inflammation occurs in the lymph nodes, lungs, liver, eyes, skin, and/or other tissues.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Scleroderma of the lung SclerodermaScleroderma is a disease that involves the buildup of fibrous tissue in the skin and elsewhere in the body. It also damages the cells that line the ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Tumors in the lung Risks There is a small risk for radiation exposure. This risk is less than that with x-rays or CT scans. Pregnant or nursing women and young children should avoid radiation exposure if at all possible.x-raysX-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation, just like visible light. An x-ray machine sends individual x-ray waves through the body. The images...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Considerations Not all cancers show up on a gallium scan. Areas of inflammation, such as recent surgical scars, may show up on the scan. However, they do not necessarily indicate an infection. Open ReferencesReferencesContreras F, Perez J, Jose J. Imaging overview. In: Miller MD, Thompson SR, eds. DeLee, Drez, & Miller's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 7.Harisinghani MG, Chen JW, Weissleder R. Imaging physics. In: Harisinghani MG, Chen JW, Weissleder R, eds. Primer of Diagnostic Imaging. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 14.Seabold JE, Palestro CJ, Brown ML, et al. Society of nuclear medicine procedure guideline for gallium scintigraphy in inflammation.The Society of Nuclear Medicine. Version 3.0. s3.amazonaws.com/rdcms-snmmi/files/production/public/docs/Gallium_Scintigraphy_in_Inflammation_v3.pdf. Approved June 2, 2004. Accessed September 30, 2022.Squires JH, Narayanan S, Tadros S. Fundamentals of pediatric radiology. In: Zitelli BJ, McIntire SC, Nowalk AJ, Garrison J, eds. Zitelli and Davis' Atlas of Pediatric Physical Diagnosis. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 25.