title: Combined positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging of recurrent thyroid cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study goal was to evaluate the use of combined positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging for localization of recurrent disease in thyroid cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight patients with suspected recurrence of thyroid cancer on the basis of elevated serum thyroglobulin or calcitonin levels underwent combined PET/CT imaging on a prototype device. All 8 patients had previously undergone total thyroidectomy and (131)I ablation for thyroid carcinoma. Patients with papillary carcinoma had negative (131)I scans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight patients underwent combined PET/CT scanning. Four (50%) of 8 patients underwent PET/CT indicating recurrence in the head and neck. A total of 11 lesions in these 4 patients were suspicious for recurrence on combined PET/CT imaging. Three patients with 8 lesions suspicious for recurrence on PET/CT underwent surgical removal of disease. All 3 patients had pathologic confirmation of recurrence, with 6 (75.0%) of 8 lesions being positive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined PET/CT imaging is a valuable tool for the diagnosis and anatomic localization of recurrent thyroid cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery,University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2546, USA. leezimmer@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Lee A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Zimmer
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McCook
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meltzer
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: Daphne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bascom
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Snyderman
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Townsend
authors.forename: Jonas T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000097:blood; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D002116:Calcitonin; D013954:Thyroglobulin