[18F]fluorodeoxyglucose triple-head coincidence imaging as an adjunct to 131I scanning for follow-up of papillary thyroid carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the feasibility of using [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)FDG) triple-head coincidence imaging as a potential cost-effective alternative to positron emission tomography in the setting of suspected recurrence of papillary thyroid carcinoma.


METHODS
We retrospectively studied 10 patients with suspected recurrence of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid, who underwent (18)FDG coincidence imaging,(131)I scanning, and a reference anatomic scan (computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or both) within 1 year in most cases.


RESULTS
The (131)I scan detected the recurrence in five patients (62.5%) and failed to reveal recurrent cancer in three patients (37.5%); in contrast,(18)FDG imaging detected the recurrence in eight patients (100%) and was true negative in two patients in whom the scans were performed more than 1 year after effective therapy for the recurrence. The sensitivity of detection was unrelated to lesion size. The (18)FDG imaging results led to additional radiotherapy in all (131)I-negative patients, two of whom had high thyroglobulin levels and one of whom had a low thyroglobulin concentration but the presence of antithy-roglobulin antibodies.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that (18)FDG triple-head coincidence imaging is useful for routine management of patients with thyroid cancer who have no abnormalities detected on (131)I scans but have high serum thyroglobulin levels. This technique, however, may not be as sensitive as a dedicated positron emission tomographic device, particularly for the assessment of small tumors.
Gonzalo
Irene T Gaw
IT
Division of Endocrinology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California 91010, USA.
Itti
Emmanuel
E
Mlikotic
Anton
A
Pham
Le H
le H
Cesar
Romeo B
RB
Meignan
Michel
M
Mishkin
Fred S
FS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18