A 63 year old male who underwent total thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid
carcinoma received 150 mCi of I-131 for remnant ablation, seen on whole body
scan as two foci of iodine uptake in the anterior neck. He was found to have
high serum thyroglobulin levels (107 mg/ml) on surveillance but the whole body
I-131 scan (below) was negative for iodine avid recurrence or metastasis.
carcinoma received 150 mCi of I-131 for remnant ablation, seen on whole body
scan as two foci of iodine uptake in the anterior neck. He was found to have
high serum thyroglobulin levels (107 mg/ml) on surveillance but the whole body
I-131 scan (below) was negative for iodine avid recurrence or metastasis.
Case of the month (07/10): Recurrent Thyroid Cancer
Whole body FDG PET-CT demonstrated hypermetabolic level IIb and level III
lymphadenopathy. Right neck dissection was performed and out of the 15
nodes removed, four of were found to have metastatic papillary carcinoma.
This case demonstrates the usefulness of PET-CT in detecting iodine negative
but FDG avid metastatic thyroid carcinoma after total thyroidectomy.
lymphadenopathy. Right neck dissection was performed and out of the 15
nodes removed, four of were found to have metastatic papillary carcinoma.
This case demonstrates the usefulness of PET-CT in detecting iodine negative
but FDG avid metastatic thyroid carcinoma after total thyroidectomy.
1. Chung JK, So Y, Lee JS, Choi CW, Lim SM, Lee DS, Hong SW, Youn YK,
Lee MC, Cho BY. Value of FDG PET in papillary thyroid carcinoma with
negative 131I whole-body scan. J Nucl Med. 1999 Jun;40(6):986-92.
2. Palmedo H, Bucerius J, Joe A, Strunk H, Hortling N, Meyka S, Roedel R,
Wolff M, Wardelmann E, Biersack HJ, Jaeger U. Integrated PET/CT in
differentiated thyroid cancer: diagnostic accuracy and impact on patient
management. J Nucl Med. 2006 Apr;47(4):616-24.
3. Finkelstein SE, Grigsby PW, Siegel BA, Dehdashti F, Moley JF, Hall BL.
Combined [18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and
computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) for detection of recurrent,
131I-negative thyroid cancer. Ann Surg Oncol. 2008 Jan;15(1):286-92.
This case was compiled by Dr. David He, BCM
Lee MC, Cho BY. Value of FDG PET in papillary thyroid carcinoma with
negative 131I whole-body scan. J Nucl Med. 1999 Jun;40(6):986-92.
2. Palmedo H, Bucerius J, Joe A, Strunk H, Hortling N, Meyka S, Roedel R,
Wolff M, Wardelmann E, Biersack HJ, Jaeger U. Integrated PET/CT in
differentiated thyroid cancer: diagnostic accuracy and impact on patient
management. J Nucl Med. 2006 Apr;47(4):616-24.
3. Finkelstein SE, Grigsby PW, Siegel BA, Dehdashti F, Moley JF, Hall BL.
Combined [18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and
computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) for detection of recurrent,
131I-negative thyroid cancer. Ann Surg Oncol. 2008 Jan;15(1):286-92.
This case was compiled by Dr. David He, BCM
