Situs Inversus Incidentally Found in a Patient with Thyroid Cancer

Abstract

An 83-year-old woman was found to have thyroid cancer and received incomplete thyroidectomy due to critical tissue invasion. Post-operative pathological examination showed a picture of papillary carcinoma. She was referred to our department for post-operative radioiodine therapy. Except for radioiodine uptake in thyroid bed, there was an additional accumulation of radioiodide in left upper quadrant of abdomen. Gastric uptake was initially impressed because the uptake pattern did not change after drinking water in a later imaging. However, metastatic lesion there might also be considered because of the age factor and operation findings. 99mTc-pertechnetate imaging showed a gastric uptake in right upper quadrant of abdomen. Thallium- 201 scan further confirmed a picture of situs inversus that did not mention previously. The radiouptake in the unusual location was thus due to hepatic uptake rather than metastasis.