What is a HIDA scan?
A HIDA scan is an imaging test that checks how your gallbladder is working. The gallbladder is a small sac under your liver. It stores bile, a fluid that helps your body digest fats. If there are problems with the gallbladder, such as gallstones, the gallbladder may not store or empty bile properly.
During a HIDA scan, a camera takes pictures of your gallbladder after a radioactive tracer is injected into a vein in your arm. The tracer travels through your liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, and small intestine. The camera takes a series of pictures of the tracer as it moves along. Your doctor can use these pictures to look for leaks, blockages, or any other problems.
Why is a HIDA scan done?
The HIDA scan may be done to:
- Help find the cause of pain in the upper belly, especially if the pain is on the right side.
- See how well the gallbladder is working.
- Find out if bile is leaking.
- Find anything that may be blocking the bile ducts.
A HIDA scan is sometimes done if an earlier ultrasound test did not give enough information.
How is a HIDA scan done?
- You will remove any clothing around your belly. You will be given a gown or paper covering to use during the test.
- You will lie on your back on a table.
- A thin tube, called an IV, will be put into a vein in your arm.
- A radioactive tracer chemical will be injected into the I.V. A medicine that stimulates your gallbladder may also be injected.
- The scanning camera will be placed close over your belly.
- A picture will be taken right away. The whole scan may last up to 60 minutes as the tracer passes through your liver and into your gallbladder and small intestine. Several more pictures, each lasting a few minutes, may be taken over the next 2 to 4 hours. Each picture will take only a few minutes, but you will have to lie still for the whole test.
How do you prepare for a HIDA scan?
- If you are breastfeeding, you may want to pump enough breast milk before the test to get through 1 to 2 days of feeding. The radioactive tracer used in this test can get into your breast milk and is not good for the baby.
- The doctor may tell you not to eat or drink anything but water for 4 to 6 hours before the test. Follow all instructions carefully.
What do the results of a HIDA scan mean?
The results of a HIDA scan are ready in 2 days.
Normal: | The radioactive tracer flows evenly through the liver and then into the gallbladder and the first part of the small intestine (duodenum). |
|---|---|
| The gallbladder is normal in size, shape, and location. | |
Abnormal: | The tracer may not be removed normally from the blood by the liver. This may be a sign of liver disease. |
| The gallbladder does not contract or empty normally. | |
| The tracer may not reach the gallbladder. This means that there is swelling or that the duct is blocked by a gallstone. | |
| The tracer may not reach the first part of the small intestine (duodenum). This may mean that a bile duct is blocked by a stone. Or there may be a tumor, infection, or swelling of the pancreas. | |
| Pain occurs when the gallbladder empties the tracer. |
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