Solitary autonomous thyroid nodules: comparison of fluorescent and pertechnetate imaging. [/sup 99m/Tc tracer technique]

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1977 · J. Nucl. Med.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5436588

Thrall, J H; Burman, K D; Gillin, M T; Corcoran, R J; Johnson, M C; Wartofsky, L

Twelve patients with solitary autonomous thyroid nodules were scanned with (/sup 99m/Tc) pertechnetate and by fluorescent imaging. Nodular dimensions were essentially identical on the two types of scans, but the relative scan densities in the nodular versus extranodular areas demonstrated striking differences. In 11 of the 12 patients, the ratio of nodular-to-extranodular radiotracer accumulation was significantly higher than the ratio of nodular-to-extranodular iodine content. In two patients with no demonstrable extranodular radiotracer accumulation by initial pertechnetate scan, extranodular tissue was demonstrated by fluorescent imaging. In such cases, fluorescent scanning may eliminate the need for a second radionuclide scan following TSH stimulation to visualize the extranodular tissue. Fluorescent scanning offers a unique new method for aiding the evaluation of patients with suspected autonomous nodules and can facilitate the diagnosis in some cases. The maintenance of relatively uniform iodine concentration between nodular and extranodular tissues is an intriguing finding that bears further investigation.

• Research Organization: Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC
• OSTI ID: 5436588
• Journal Information: J. Nucl. Med.; (United States), Vol. 18:11
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
SCINTISCANNING
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
TECHNETIUM 99
THYROID
DIAGNOSIS
FLUORESCENCE
ISOMERIC NUCLEI
NEOPLASMS
PATIENTS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TSH
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
GLANDS
HORMONES
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LUMINESCENCE
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANS
PEPTIDE HORMONES
PITUITARY HORMONES
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
TECHNETIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
550601* - Medicine- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics