Thallium-201 Dye & Kidney Function

According to the National Kidney Foundation, more than 26 million people in the United States suffer from chronic kidney disease, also known as chronic renal disease. In certain cases, a doctor will prescribe tests involving the use of thallium-201 dye to test for impaired renal function.

Identification

• Thallium-201 is radioactive dye used for a variety of diagnostic procedures. According to the American Journal of Roentgenology, these include the assessment of a variety of malignant tumors, kidney function and the evaluation of peripheral vascular disease.

Significance

• According to the Western Journal of Medicine, thallium-201 accumulates at a rapid pace within human organs, especially the kidneys. For this reason thallium-201 is utilized in diagnostic procedures that measure kidney function.

Function

• When thallium-201 dye is used to diagnose kidney function, it is administered intravenously, and observed by a radiologist as it makes its way through the bloodstream to the kidneys. According to the Brigham and Women's Hospital, it will then indicate areas of abnormality in the kidney cells, depending on the amount of dye absorbed. Only a medical professional such as a doctor or radiologist can accurately interpret the results.