Parathyroid scan is a nuclear medicine investigation done in patients with suspected hyperparathyroidism. Hyperparathyroidism is a condition in which parathyroid hormone is present in greater than required quantity in the body, leading to patient symptoms.
Various methodologies for a Parathyroid Scan are present. The most commonly done method involves injection of a radiotracer known as 99mTc-Sestamibi into the patient intravenously. Then the patient is put under a gamma camera scanner and is imaged two times (once at 10-20 minutes after injection and 1-2 hours after injection). In addition, a thyroid scan and SPECT-CT scan may also be done to improve scan findings.