Radio-Iodine Thymic Uptake in Thyroid Carcinoma Follow Up: Lesson to be Learned from a Case Report Pages 50-52

Laila Ennazk1, Ghizlane El Mghari1, A. Matrane2 and Nawal El Ansari1

1Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolic Diseases, King Mohammed VI University Hospital, PCIM Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Marrakesh, Morocco; 2Department of Nuclear Medicine, King Mohammed VI University Hospital, Marrakesh, Morocco

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12970/2310-9971.2014.02.02.2

Abstract: Differentiated thyroid cancer is a relatively rare disease. It comprises papillar and follicular carcinoma which account for the major of thyroid malignancies. Its incidence is becoming increasingly prevalent because of the generalization of thyroid imaging explorations. Since differentiated carcinoma cell retains the normal thyroid features of concentrating and organifiying iodine, radioiodine therapy has been a powerful treatment modality and the whole body iodine scan an effective tool for both diagnosis and follow up. False-positive in whole body scan may be observed after radioiodine therapy. Thymus uptake is an uncommon cause of false-positive in this context. This fact must be known by practitioners in order to prevent unnecessary treatment.

Keywords: Thymus, radioiodine, thyroid neoplasm, whole body scan. Read more