Pediatrics News Articles

Kim HY et al. – SPECT/CT precisely localizes neck iodine uptake. In small numbers of patients, treatment is affected. SPECT/CT should be used when available in thyroid carcinoma patients.

• 20 SPECT/CT and planar studies were reviewed in 13 children with papillary thyroid carcinoma after total thyroidectomy.
• Seven studies used I–123 and 13 used I–131, after elevating TSH by T4 deprivation or intramuscular thyrotropin alfa.
• Eight children had one study and five children had two to four studies.
• Studies were performed at initial post–total thyroidectomy evaluation, follow–up and after I–131 treatment doses.
• SPECT/CT was performed with a diagnostic–quality CT unit in 13 studies and a localization–only CT unit in 7.
• Stimulated thyroglobulin was measured (except in 2 cases with anti–thyroglobulin antibodies).

• In 13 studies, neck activity was present but poorly localized on planar imaging; all foci of uptake were precisely localized by SPECT/CT. Two additional foci of neck uptake were found on SPECT/CT.
• SPECT/CT differentiated high neck uptake from ...read more

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