A historical survey of scintigraphic methodology for evaluation of the reproductive tract

Scintigraphic techniques have contributed to many aspects of our understanding of genital and reproductive physiology and pathophysiology. Few of these methods have become mainstream diagnostic techniques; nonetheless, their flexible, physiologic, and intrinsically quantitative nature have contributed information and insights not readily available by other means. The techniques discussed in this review measure various dynamic processes within the body, including blood flow, variation of blood volume, and lymphatic and fallopian tube transport. Dynamic measurement of these processes exploits nuclear medicine's ability to radiolabel and monitor substances while preserving normal physiologic behavior. Consideration of these methods will potentially stimulate future development and application of radionuclide techniques to emerging questions in the fields of reproductive and genital physiology.