Thymic uptake of radiopharmaceuticals.
The thymus, as the site of T-cell differentiation, plays a critical role in the development of the immune system. The gland increases in weight until puberty and then is slowly replaced by fat. Various radiopharmaceuticals can localize to the thymus before it involutes. This pictorial presentation reviews the appearance and proposed mechanisms of thymic uptake of Ga-67 citrate, F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose, radioiodine, and In-111 pentetreotide.
Connolly
Leonard P
LP
Department of Radiology, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Childrens Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. leonardconnolly@tch.harvard.edu
Connolly
Susan A
SA
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002951:Citrates / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005708:Gallium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008297:Male; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*
D002951:Citrates; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D013004:Somatostatin; D005708:Gallium; C081788:pentetreotide; C103850:gallium citrate