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Title: Usefulness of thallium-201 imaging in the diagnosis of metastases from differentiated thyroid carcinoma

Conference · · J. Nucl. Med.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6844556

To evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of Thallium-201 imaging for detecting metastases from thyroid carcinoma, the authors have compared it with radioiodine scans and serum thyroglobulin levels, which are currently the most sensitive technique for detecting and localizing metastases. Of the sixty-nine patients, fifty-three had lymph node, lung and/or bone metastases. All patients were treated for differentiated thyroid carcinoma with various combinations of total thyroidectomy, radioiodine ablation and thyroid hormone. Scintigraphy with Tl-210 chloride was abnormal in 39 of 53 patients (sensitivity 74%), whereas 34 of 47 patients with I-131 (sensitivity 72%). Positive ratio of I-131 was correlated with histological type (93% of follicular type and 48% of papillary), whereas in the results with Tl-201 no correlation with histopathology was seen. In 13 patients with I-131 scan was negative, but in 11 patients Tl-201 scan revealed the presence of non-functioning metastases. The positive ratio of Tl-201 scans was correlated well with the size of metastases tumors (P<0.005). Of 43 patients with metastases whose thyroglobulin levels (Tg) were measured by radioimmunoassay, Tg were elevated more than 20ng/ml in 37 (86%); the remaining 14% were below 20 ng/ml in spite of having functioning metastases. These patients were subsequently to have elevation of Tg (>80ng/ml) during hypothyroidism. These results indicate Tl-201 scans correlate with serum thyroglobulin levels and have the added advantage of detecting and localizing non-functioning metastases which would not be detected by I-131 scans.

Research Organization:
Tokyo Womens Medical College, Tokyo
OSTI ID:
6844556
Report Number(s):
CONF-840619-; TRN: 87-008824
Journal Information:
J. Nucl. Med.; (United States), Vol. 25:5; Conference: 31. annual meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 5 Jun 1984
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English