Clinical Radiology

Nuclear Medicine

Faculty

David Cheng, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Chief, and Program Director
Mehdi Djekidel, MD, Clinical Instructor and Assistant Fellowship Director
Indukala Doddamane, MD, Assistant Professor and Associate Program Director
Antonio Obando, MD, Assistant Professor

General Information

The Yale-New Haven Hospital Nuclear Medicine Service provides many essential nuclear medicine studies for evaluation of infections, bone metastases, fractures; acute and chronic cholecystitis; thyroid studies for hyperparathyroid adenoma; congenital hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and cold nodules, and extent of thyroid carcinoma involvement.

We also provide studies for evaluation of differential renal functions, renovascular disease, and UPJ obstruction; red cell mass for polycythemia vera; red cell survival; portal hypertension; intraluminal gastrointestinal bleed localization; lung scan for differential lung function and pulmonary embolism; and tumor staging, evaluation of Alzheimer dementia, and seizure focus localization using PET/CT scan is available. In terms of therapeutic treatments, we provide radioimmunotherapies such as Zevalin and Bexxar, radiolabeled peptide treatments within the context of clinical trials, as well as radioiodine treatments for thyroid carcinoma patients.

There are 3 major services that place YNHH apart from most other hospitals in Connecticut. Firstly, we are only one of three hospitals thus far in Connecticut that has a permanent on-site PET/CT scanner. Together with our dedicated PET (only) scanner, we have the highest capacity for PET scanning within the state. Secondly, we are the only hospital that currently provides high-dosing I-131 ablation and treatment for metastases in the state of Connecticut. We get referrals from physicians all over the state from Greenwich to Hartford, CT. Thirdly, with our close working relationship with Dr. Udelsman, the chairman of Yale Department of Surgery, we have referrals for parathyroid imaging of patients from all over the country. We intend to keep improving the quality of our services to help our colleagues with theirs.

The research mission of the Nuclear Medicine Division is being greatly advanced through the formation of the Yale University Positron Emission Tomography Center (PET Center). The PET Center is being formed to advance the interests of Yale clinicians, scientists and students in molecular imaging. While the primary focus of the PET Center will be to conduct scientific research in humans and experimental animals, some imaging for clinical patient management will be conducted; the majority of clinical imaging will be performed in the Yale New Haven Hospital using PET-CT scanners.

It is anticipated that the PET Center will develop scientific collaborations with many School of Medicine departments and their members, but also create ties to basic science departments in the wider Yale University community in order to advance basic imaging science research and participate in the education of doctoral and postdoctoral trainees.