title: Visualisation of a paraganglioma by technetium-99m-sestamibi scintigraphy.
abstract: A 68-yr-old woman presented to our observation with multinodular goiter and a contiguous right laterocervical mass. In spite of ultrasound, technetium and iodine scan, CT and fine-needle biopsy, the precise origin of the mass remained uncertain. On additional multi-phase sestamibi scan, the neck region showed an early high uptake rapidly decreasing over time in the laterocervical mass, and a persistent inhomogeneous distribution in the thyroid gland. This behavior suggested that the laterocervical mass could derive from an anatomical structure other than the thyroid. Surgical exploration established the extrathyroid nature of the laterocervical mass and the histological examination confirmed that it was a typical paraganglioma. This finding is in keeping with a recent report of positive sestamibi uptake in a cervical paraganglioma, although our case showed a more rapid kinetic. This tumor should be therefore taken into consideration in the differential interpretation of focal sestamibi uptake.
authors.affiliation: Medicina Nucleare, Università di Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piga
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Farina
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Loi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Calia
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zucca
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mariotti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006044:Goiter, Nodular / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D009333:Neck / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010235:Paraganglioma / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi