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Radionuclide cystogram


A radionuclide cystogram is a special imaging test called a nuclear scan. It checks how well your bladder and urinary tract work.

Alternative Names

Nuclear bladder scan

How the Test is Performed


You will lie on a scanner table. After cleaning the urinary opening, the health care provider will place a thin, flexible tube, called a catheter, through the urethra and into the bladder. A liquid containing radioactive material flows into the bladder until the bladder is full or you say that your bladder feels full.



How to Prepare for the Test


How the Test will Feel

You may feel some discomfort when the catheter is inserted. It may feel difficult or embarrassing to urinate while being observed. You cannot feel the radioisotope or the scanning.

After the scan, you may feel slight discomfort for 1 or 2 days when you urinate. The urine may be slightly pink. Call your provider if you have ongoing discomfort, a fever, or bright red urine.

Why the Test is Performed

This test is done to see how your bladder empties and fills. It can be used to check for urine reflux or an obstruction in urine flow. It is most often done to evaluate patients with urinary tract infections, particularly children.

Normal Results

A normal value is no reflux or other abnormal urine flow, and no obstruction to the flow of urine. The bladder empties completely.

What Abnormal Results Mean

Abnormal results may be due to:

  • Abnormal bladder response to pressure. This could be due to a nerve problem or other disorder.
  • Back flow of urine (vesicoureteric reflux)
  • Blockage of the urethra (urethral obstruction). This is most commonly due to an enlarged prostate gland.



There is a small amount of radiation exposure with any nuclear scan (it comes from the radioisotope, not the scanner). The exposure is less than with standard x-rays. The radiation is very mild. Nearly all the radiation is gone from your body in a short time. However, any radiation exposure is discouraged for women who are or might be pregnant.



Elder JS. Vesicoureteral reflux. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 19th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2011:chap 533.


Review Date: 1/21/2015