title: Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid: management of persistent hypercalcitonaemia utilizing [99mTc] (v) dimercaptosuccinic acid scintigraphy.
abstract: Whole body scintigraphy with [99mTc] (v)dimercaptosuccinic acid (pentavalent DMSA) was performed in seven patients with histologically confirmed medullary carcinoma of the thyroid (MCT). Six of these patients had undergone previous thyroid resections for MCT and, although asymptomatic at the time of pentavalent DMSA scintigraphy, had persistent and serial elevations in their plasma calcitonin levels. One additional patient was scanned before and after total thyroidectomy for MCT. The pentavalent DMSA scintigram demonstrated either local neck recurrence (three patients) or distant metastases (two patients) in five of the six asymptomatic patients. In one asymptomatic patient only equivocal neck uptake was demonstrated. Since he had only minimal calcitonin elevations, repeat neck exploration was not performed. The one patient studied before thyroid resection for MCT demonstrated neck uptake before, but not after, total thyroidectomy. The results of the scintigrams had significant impact on patient care and resulted in neck re-exploration (three patients), neck biopsy (one patient), and lumbar spine biopsy and subsequent radiotherapy (one patient). These data demonstrate pentavalent DMSA to be a sensitive localizing agent in the evaluation of asymptomatic MCT patients with hypercalcitonaemia. Accurate targeting of treatment may be shown in due course to have a beneficial impact on survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Udelsman
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Mojiminiyi
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Soper
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Buley
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Shepstone
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Dudley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D004113:Succimer; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D019783:Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy
chemical_list: D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D019783:Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid; D002116:Calcitonin; D004113:Succimer