IS THYROID SCINTIGRAPHY NECESSARY BEFORE I-131 THERAPY FOR HYPERTHYROIDISM - CONCISE COMMUNICATION

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 25  (6) , 664-667
Abstract
To assess the value of routine thyroid scintigraphy in the differential diagnosis of hyperthyroidism and as a guide to 131I therapy, 100 consecutive hyperthyroid patients referred for a 24-h radioiodine uptake and 131I therapy were examined. The nuclear medicine physician recorded his preimaging diagnositic impression and therapeutic plan for each patient. After the 99mTc pertechnetate image, the patient was reassessed to determine whether the image induced any change in the diagnosis or therapeutic plan. Of 80 patients with diffuse goiter to palpation, 79 had scintigrams demonstrating no discrete focal defects and were diagnosed as Graves'' disease; thus the scintigram did not contribute useful information. In 17 of 20 patients with uninodular or multinodular goiters, the image was necessary to clarify the final diagnosis and therapeutic plan. Selective use of thyroid scintigraphy should decrease the number of scintigrams performed before 131I therapy for hyperthyroidism, without compromising diagnostic accuracy of therapeutic success.

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