Cervical distribution of iodine 131 following total thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983 · Arch. Surg. (Chicago); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1001/archsurg.1983.01390070072014· OSTI ID:5128418

Fratkin, M J; Newsome, Jr, H H; Sharpe, Jr, A R; Tatum, J L

The use of postoperative radioiodine thyroid scanning has questioned whether total thyroidectomy is surgically possible. Similar to earlier studies, we have found functioning iodine 131 (/sup 131/I)-avid thyroid tissue in our patients following total thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer. Preoperative and postoperative thyroid scans were compared in 24 patients to study the cervical location of postthyroidectomy residual thyroid tissue. Thyroid scanning detected 44 distinct sites of uptake. Thirty-eight of these foci were located either at the extremes of the upper poles of the thyroid gland (24) or along the embryonic thyroid descent tract (14). We conclude that these foci of /sup 131/I uptake represent incomplete resection of normal thyroid tissue, and that surgical attention to these areas should result more frequently in extirpation of the entire thyroid gland.

• Research Organization: Medical Coll. of Virginia, Richmond
• OSTI ID: 5128418
• Journal Information: Arch. Surg. (Chicago); (United States), Journal Name: Arch. Surg. (Chicago); (United States) Vol. 118:7; ISSN ARSUA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISTRIBUTION
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
GLANDS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IODINE 131
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MEDICINE
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
PATIENTS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
SCINTISCANNING
SURGERY
THYROID
THYROIDECTOMY
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
UPTAKE