MUGA scan

Detailed Information:
Radionuclide scanning is a diagnostic test where a contrast dye is viewed with a special machine, sometimes called a gamma scintillator, as it passes through an organ. The test measures how long it takes the organ to process the dye, so the doctor can make judgments about how well the organ is functioning.

For the MUGA scan, the dye is injected into the arm and travels through the body to the heart, where it is measured. There may be an exercise component to the test, so the doctor can view how exercise affects heart function. If so, the test can take up to four hours, but without the exercise component, it may take less than one hour.

The most important thing that the MUGA scan measures is the ejection fraction of the left ventricle, the chamber of the heart that pumps oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the organs in the body. This measure is an important indicator of the patient’s risk of heart failure. The test also can detect abnormalities in the functioning of the right ventricle and the heart walls.

MUGA stands for “multi-gated acquisition.” It is called this because the gamma camera takes multiple pictures of the heart.

Last updated: 03-Jun-04