Testicular Scan: How It Is Done

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How It Is Done

A testicular scan is usually done by a nuclear medicine technologist. The scan pictures are usually interpreted by a radiologist or nuclear medicine specialist.

You will need to remove any jewelry that might interfere with the scan. You may need to take off all or most of your clothes, but you will be given a cloth or paper covering to use during the test.

The technologist cleans the site on your arm where the radioactive tracer will be injected. A small amount of the radioactive tracer is then injected.

You will lie on your back on a table and your penis will be taped to your abdomen to prevent it from interfering with the scan. A sling or towel may be used to support the testicles under the scanner. After the radioactive tracer is injected, the camera will scan for radiation released by the tracer and produce pictures of the tracer in your testicles. Two scans are done about 15 minutes apart. You need to lie very still during each scan to avoid blurring the pictures. The camera does not produce any radiation, so you are not exposed to any additional radiation while the scan is being done.

A testicular scan takes about 45 minutes.

Last updated:	February 20, 2007
Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS
Reviewed By:	Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine, Avery L. Seifert, MD - Urology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer