Gallium Whole Body Scan

Gallium whole body scan is a type of nuclear medicine scan. It is performed looking for infection, inflammation, and tumours in the body. To conduct a scan, a radioactive metal “Gallium”, is mixed into a solution and injected into your arm.

The solution moves through the blood and collects in organs and bones. The body will be scanned after giving an injection to see where and how the gallium accumulated in your body.

Why is it done?

The Gallium whole body scan is recommended by a doctor

• If you are suffering from undiscovered pains or fever
• To diagnose cancer.
• It is used as a follow-up test for patients with cancer or patients who are treated for cancer.
• To inspect the lungs.
• To diagnose bone infection
• To diagnose inflammatory conditions
• To diagnose infection such as a collection of pusses.

What is the procedure for the Gallium whole body scan?

• The technologist will instruct you to lie down on the table.
• The technologist will inject a gallium solution into a vein in your arm.
• Gallium solution takes a few hours in moving through your bloodstream and collecting in your bones and organs.
• A scanner will slowly move around your body and a special camera detects the collection of gallium in your body.

How does one prepare for the Gallium whole body scan?

>>No special preparation is required. The doctor will give you special instructions if needed.

General preparation that one needs to follow

• Technologist asks you to remove your clothes.
• You need to take off all kinds of metallic objects.
• Notify technologist/radiologist/doctor if you are pregnant.
• Notify technologist/radiologist/doctor if you are breastfeeding.
• You may need to use an enema to clear your bowl before scanning for clear pictures.

After care

It will take a few days to decrease the radioactive material in your body. The doctor may suggest you drink a lot of fluid to get rid of radioactive material from the body faster. Generally, the injection doesn’t cause an allergic reaction such as skin rashes or nausea but, in some cases, it may happen.

The cost of a Gallium Whole Body Scan

The cost of a Gallium whole body scan in Delhi is INR 20,000 to INR 35,000.