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Radiopharmacology

Radiopharmacology is the study and preparation of radiopharmaceuticals, which are radioactive pharmaceuticals. Radiopharmaceuticals are used in the field of nuclear medicine as tracers in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. Many radiopharmaceuticals use technetium (Tc-99m). In the book Technetium by Klaus Schwochau, 31 different radiopharmaceuticals based on Tc-99m are listed for imaging and functional studies of the brain, myocardium, thyroid, lungs, liver, gallbladder, kidneys, skeleton, blood and tumors.

A list of nuclear medicine radiopharmaceuticals follows. Some radioisotopes are used in ionic or inert form without attachment to a pharmaceutical, these are also included. There is a section for each radioisotope with a table of radiopharmaceuticals using that radioisotope. The sections are ordered alphabetically by the English name of the radioisotope. Sections for the same element are then ordered by atomic mass number.

Additional recommended knowledge

Calcium-47

⁴⁷Ca is a beta and gamma emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
Ca-47-Ca²⁺	Bone metabolism	IV	In-vitro	Non-imaging

Carbon-11

¹¹C is a positron emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
C11-L-methyl-methionine	Brain tumour imaging Parathyroid imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging

Carbon-14

¹⁴C is a beta emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
C14-Glycocholic acid	Breath test for small intestine bacterial overgrowth	Oral	In-vitro	Non-imaging
C14-PABA (para-amino benzoic acid)	Pancreatic studies	Oral	In-vitro	Non-imaging
C14-Urea	Breath test to detect Helicobacter pylori	Oral	In-vitro	Non-imaging
C14-d-xylose	Breath test for small intestine bacterial overgrowth	Oral	In-vitro	Non-imaging

Chromium-51

⁵¹Cr is a gamma emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
Cr51-Red blood cells	Red cell volume; sites of sequestration; gastrointestinal blood loss	IV	In-vitro	Non-imaging
Cr51-Cr³⁺	Gastrointestinal protein loss	IV	In-vitro	Non-imaging
Cr51-EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid)	Glomerular filtration rate measurement	IV	In-vitro	Non-imaging

Cobalt-57

⁵⁷Co is a gamma emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
Co57-Cyanocobalamin (vitamin B₁₂)	Gastrointestinal absorption	Oral	In-vitro	Non-imaging

Cobalt-58

⁵⁸Co is a gamma emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
Co58-Cyanocobalamin (vitamin B₁₂)	Gastrointestinal absorption	Oral	In-vitro	Non-imaging

Erbium-169

¹⁶⁹Er is a beta emitter.

Name	Treatment of	Route of administration
Er169-Colloid	Arthritic conditions	Intra-articular

Fluorine-18

¹⁸F is a positron emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
F18-FDG (Fluorodeoxyglucose)	Tumour imaging Myocardial imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
F18-Fluoride	Bone imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging

Gallium-67

⁶⁷Ga is a gamma emitter. See Gallium scan.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
Ga67-Ga³⁺	Tumour imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Ga67-Ga³⁺	Infection/inflammation imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging

Hydrogen-3

³H or tritium is a beta emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
H3-water	Total body water	Oral or IV	In-vitro	Non-imaging

Indium-111

¹¹¹In is a gamma emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
In111-DTPA (diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid)	GI transit	Oral	In-vivo	Imaging
In111-DTPA (diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid)	Cisternography	Intra-cisternal	In-vivo	Imaging
In111-Leucocytes	Infection/inflammation imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
In111-Platelets	Thrombus imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
In111-Pentetreotide	Somatostatin receptor imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging

Iodine-123

¹²³I is a gamma emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
I123-Iodide	Thyroid uptake	Oral or IV	In-vivo	Non-imaging
I123-Iodide	Thyroid imaging Thyroid metastases imaging	Oral or IV	In-vivo	Imaging
I123-o-Iodohippurate	Renal imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
I123-MIBG (m-iodobenzylguanidine)	Neuroectodermal tumour imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
I123-FP-CIT	SPECT imaging of Parkinson's Disease	IV	In-vivo	Imaging

Iodine-131

¹³¹I is a beta and gamma emitter.

Diagnostic

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
I131-Iodide	Thyroid uptake	Oral	In-vivo	Non-imaging
I131-Iodide	Thyroid metastases imaging	Oral or IV	In-vivo	Imaging
I131-MIBG (m-iodobenzylguanidine)	Neuroectodermal tumour imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging

Therapeutic

Name	Treatment of	Route of administration
I131-Iodide	Thyrotoxicosis	IV or Oral
I131-Iodide	Non-toxic goitre	IV or Oral
I131-Iodide	Thyroid carcinoma	IV or Oral
I131-MIBG (m-iodobenzylguanidine)	Malignant disease	IV

Iron-59

⁵⁹Fe is a beta and gamma emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
Fe59-Fe²⁺ or Fe³⁺	Iron metabolism	IV	In-vitro	Non-imaging

Krypton-81m

⁸¹Kr^m is a gamma emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
Kr81m-Gas	Lung ventilation imaging	Inhalation	In-vivo	Imaging
Kr-81m-Aqueous solution	Lung perfusion imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging

Nitrogen-13

¹³N is a positron emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
N13-Ammonia	Myocardial blood flow imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging

Oxygen-15

¹⁵O is a positron emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
O15-Water	Cerebral blood flow imaging Myocardial blood flow imaging	IV bolus	In-vivo	Imaging

Phosphorus-32

³²P is a beta emitter.

Name	Treatment of	Route of administration
P32-Phosphate	Polycythemia and related disorders	IV or Oral

Samarium-153

¹⁵³Sm is a beta and gamma emitter.

Name	Treatment of	Route of administration
Sm153-EDTMP (Ethylenediaminotetramethylenephosphoric acid)	Bone metastases	IV

Selenium-75

⁷⁵Se is a gamma emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
Se75-Selenorcholesterol	Adrenal gland imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Se75-SeHCAT (23-Seleno-25-homo-tauro-cholate)	Bile salt absorption	Oral	In-vivo	Imaging

Sodium-22

²²Na is a positron and gamma emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
Na22-Na⁺	Electrolyte studies	Oral or IV	In-vitro	Non-imaging

Sodium-24

²⁴Na is a beta and gamma emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
Na24-Na⁺	Electrolyte studies	Oral or IV	In-vitro	Non-imaging

Strontium-89

⁸⁹Sr is a beta emitter.

Name	Treatment of	Route of administration
Sr89-Chloride	Bone metastases	IV

Technetium-99m

^99mTc is a gamma emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
Tc99m-pertechnetate	Thyroid uptake and thyroid imaging Stomach and salivary gland imaging Meckel's diverticulum imaging Brain imaging Micturating cystogram First pass blood flow imaging First pass peripheral vascular imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-pertechnetate	Lacrimal imaging	Eye drops	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-Human albumin	Cardiac blood pool imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-Human albumin	Peripheral vascular imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-Human albumin macroaggregates or microspheres	Lung perfusion imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-Human albumin macroaggregates or microspheres	Lung perfusion imaging with venography	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-Phosphonates and phosphates	Bone imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-Phosphonates and phosphates	Myocardial imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-DTPA (diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid)	Renal imaging First pass blood flow studies Brain imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-DTPA (diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid)	Lung ventilation imaging	Aerosol inhalation	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-DMSA(V) (dimercaptosuccinic acid)	Tumour imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-DMSA(III) (dimercaptosuccinic acid)	Renal imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-Colloid	Bone marrow imaging GI Bleeding	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-Colloid	Lymph node imaging	Interstitial	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-Colloid	Oesophageal transit and reflux imaging	Oral	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-Colloid	Lacrimal imaging	Eye drops	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-HIDA (Hepatic iminodiacetic acid)	Functional biliary system imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-Denatured red bood cells	Red cell volume	IV	In-vitro	Non-imaging
Tc99m-Red blood cells	GI bleeding Cardiac blood pool imaging Peripheral vascular imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-MAG3 (mercaptoacetyltriglycine)	Renal imaging First pass blood flow imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-HMPAO (Hexamethyl-propylene amine oxime)	Cerebral blood flow imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-HMPAO (Hexamethyl-propylene amine oxime) labelled leucocytes	Infection/inflammation imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-Sestamibi	Parathyroid imaging Non-specific tumour imaging Thyroid tumour imaging Breast imaging Myocardial imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-Sulesomab (IMMU-MN3 murine Fab'-SH antigranulocyte monoclonal antibody fragments)	Infection/inflammation imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-Technegas	Lung ventilation imaging	Inhalation	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-Human immunoglobulin	Infection/inflammation imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-Tetrofosmin	Parathyroid imaging Myocardial imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging
Tc99m-ECD (ethyl cysteinate dimer)	Brain imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging

Thallium-201

²⁰¹Tl is a gamma emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
Tl201-Tl⁺	Non-specific tumour imaging Thyroid tumour imaging Myocardial imaging Parathyroid imaging	IV	In-vivo	Imaging

Xenon-133

¹³³Xe is a gamma emitter.

Name	Investigation	Route of administration	In-vitro / in-vivo	Imaging / non-imaging
Xe133-gas	Lung ventilation studies	Inhalation	In-vivo	Imaging
Xe133 in isotonic sodium chloride solution	Cerebral blood flow	IV	In-vivo	Imaging

Yttrium-90

⁹⁰Y is a beta emitter.

Name	Treatment of	Route of administration
Y90-Silicate	Arthritic conditions	Intra-articular
Y90-Silicate	Malignant disease	Intracavitary

References

Notes for guidance on the clinical administration of radiopharmaceuticals and use of sealed radioactive sources. Administration of radioactive substances advisory committee. December 1998. Produced by the National Radiological Protection Board.
Malabsorption. In: The Merck Manual of Geriatrics, chapter 111.
Leukoscan summary of product characteristics (Tc99m-Sulesomab).
Schwochau, Klaus. Technetium. Wiley-VCH (2000). ISBN 3-527-29496-1

Categories: Nuclear medicine | Radiobiology | Radiation oncology

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Radiopharmacology". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.