HIDA scan (cholescintigraphy): Why is it performed?

A hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan helps evaluate the function of the gallbladder and the bile ducts. Doctors may also refer to this procedure as cholescintigraphy.

In preparation for a HIDA scan, a dye or other chemical (radioactive tracer) is injected into your vein. The tracer travels to your liver and then into the bile ducts. A special scanner placed over your abdomen tracks the movement of the tracer through your biliary tract and makes images of the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts.

A HIDA scan is used to diagnose:

• Obstruction of the bile ducts, such as due to gallstones or rarely, tumors
• Diseases of the gallbladder
• Bile leaks