Asymmetric breast uptake of radioiodine in a patient with thyroid malignancy: metastases or not?
Various physiological processes can cause potentially misleading appearances in radioiodine whole body scans; proper understanding of the causes of these can therefore obviate diagnostic errors. Whole-body radioiodine scintigraphy with I131 or I123 is an accurate form of imaging used for management of differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Following thyroidectomy, any residual thyroid tissue or metastatic disease is ablated with high dose I131 and diagnostic images are acquired, demonstrating residual thyroid tissue and metastatic disease. However, atypical physiological uptake of I131 can simulate metastases.
Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital Headley Way, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK. sinhaaabha@hotmail.com
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Sinha
K M
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Bradley
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Steatham
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Weaver
D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals