title: Assessment of thyroid nodules by technetium-99m-tetrofosmin scintigraphy.
abstract: Thyroid nodularity is a common finding. The incidence of thyroid cancer in the general population is estimated at 0.1%. Thyroid nodules are evaluated by palpation, ultrasonography, radionuclide scintigraphy and fine-needle aspiration cytology. Routine thyroid scintigraphy is made by using Tc-99m-pertechnetate or the I-131 and I-123 scintigraphic method. Tc-99m-tetrofosmin accumulates in the myocardium, skeletal muscle, liver, spleen breast tissue, kidney and normal and pathological thyroid tissue. We investigated 36 patients (28 females and 8 males) with solitary and/or multiple thyroid nodules. All the patients were euthyroid, and their thyroid nodules were diagnosed by palpation and ultrasound examination. Thyroid scintigraphy was applied by Tc-99m-pertechnetate, then thyroid fine-needle aspiration biopsy was performed. Finally, Tc-99m-tetrofosmin scintigraphy was carried out. Five patients (14.8%) had differential thyroid carcinoma, 23 (63.8%) had thyroid adenoma, 1 (0.02%) had Riedel's thyroiditis and 7 (19.4%) had follicular cyst. We detected 80% uptake in the early phase and 100% in the late phase by Tc-99m-tetrofosmin scintigraphy in the differentiated thyroid carcinoma group. In summary, we claim that Tc-99m-tetrofosmin may be an important scintigraphic method to identify thyroid malignancy from benign thyroid pathologies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Atatürk, Erzurum, Turkey.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Akçay
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uslu
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Varoglu
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Tekin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gündogdu
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003560:Cysts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m; D016606:Thyroid Nodule / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
chemical_list: D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C078700:technetium tc-99m tetrofosmin; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m