Tc-99m Pertechnetate Scintigraphy Research Articles

Multiple Synchronous Thoracoabdominal Duplication Cysts With Ectopic Gastric Mucosa Detected on 99mTc-Pertechnetate Scintigraphy and SPECT/CT.

Thoracoabdominal duplication cysts are a congenital malformation of the posterior primitive foregut with synchronous thoracic and abdominal duplication cysts being found in up to 15% of cases. The presentation of duplication cysts depends on their location, size, and other factors, like the presence of ectopic functioning gastric mucosa, which is reported in 20%-30% of duplication cysts. 99mTc-pertechnetate scintigraphy along with SPECT/CT helps in the preoperative localization of ectopic functioning gastric mucosa in these duplication cysts. We report the scintigraphic and SPECT/CT findings of one such case, which helped in the final diagnosis and management of the patient.

Surgery for long tubular intestinal duplication with massive hemorrhage: a case report and literature review

BackgroundLong tubular duplication is a rare congenital intestinal disease, that can lead to emergency situations marked by massive hemorrhage. However, preoperative diagnosis and surgical treatment are challenging. This report presents preoperative images and details a surgical procedure for long tubular intestinal duplications with massive hemorrhage.Case presentationA 3-year-old boy presented to the emergency department with melena. Despite undergoing a Tc-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy one year prior, which revealed nonspecific findings with enhancement of some parts of the intestine, enhanced abdominal CT revealed an edematous small intestine with luminal extravasation. The patient received a transfusion of red blood cells; however, his hemoglobin level did not improve. Arterial angiography and double-balloon endoscopy revealed no remarkable findings. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a long tubular duplication in half of the small intestine. Utilizing the Wrenn procedure, we successfully removed all duplicate mucosa. Pathological findings showed that almost all duplications contained gastric mucosa and revealed an ulcer with a ruptured arterial vessel. His symptoms were resolved, and the hemoglobin level stabilized. At 2 months postoperatively, no surgical complications were present.ConclusionsEffective management of long tubular duplications with massive hemorrhage involves timely application of the Wrenn procedure. Recognition of specific imaging findings is crucial to prompt exploratory laparotomy, ensuring optimal outcomes and preventing delays in treatment.

Raynaud phenomenon and microvasculopathy in systemic sclerosis: multi-modality imaging for diagnosis and evaluation.

To describe the clinical significance of and the diagnostic approach to Raynaud phenomenon (RP) in the peripheral extremities and the heart. Nailfold capillaroscopy has recently been standardized in an expert consensus paper. Abnormal capillaroscopy in combination with specific autoantibody profiles and clinical signs are highly predictive of progression of RP to systemic sclerosis (SSc). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can also perform tissue characterization of both the extremities and the heart. Microvascular wall abnormalities detected using nailfold capillaroscopy in patients with SSc may lead to deposition of erythrocyte-derived iron, due to microhemorrhages, which may predispose to fibrosis. MRI can assess the presence of iron using T2∗ measurements. RP is a hallmark of the microvasculopathy in SSc and can affect both the peripheral extremities and the heart. Nailfold capillaroscopy is the current gold standard for the evaluation of the peripheral microvasculature. Other imaging modalities include thermography, laser Doppler-derived methods, 99mTc-pertechnetate hand perfusion scintigraphy, power Doppler ultrasonography, dynamic optical coherence tomography, MRI, and photoacoustic imaging, but these are currently not widely used. Cardiac RP can be investigated with positron emission tomography or cardiovascular magnetic resonance, with the latter offering the additional possibility of tissue characterization and iron content quantification secondary to microhemorrhages.

Asymmetric diffuse thyroid uptake on 18F-FDG PET/CT in patient with subacute thyroiditis: Case report and literature review.

A 48-year-old man with an intermittent fever of 39.0oC for more than three weeks underwent computed tomography (CT) and blood testing, which revealed no clues. Antibiotics wereadministered, but his condition did not improve. Fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) showed right-lobe-dominant diffuse thyroid uptake. On technetium-99m (99mTc) pertechnetate scintigraphy, the thyroid gland could not be visualized, and he was diagnosed with subacute thyroiditis (SAT). When asymmetric 18F-FDG diffuse thyroid uptake on PET/CT is observed in a patient with a fever of unknown origin (FUO), SAT may need to be considered.

99mTc-pertechnetate thyroid static scintigraphy unexpectedly revealed ectopic gastric mucosa of upper esophagus.

Technetium-99m (99mTc)-pertechnetate can be taken up by both gastric mucosa and thyroid tissue. Ectopic gastric mucosa of upper esophagus found in thyroid scintigraphy is rare. We reported a 31-year-old woman who underwent 99mTc-pertechnetate thyroid static scintigraphy for abnormal ultrasound findings. A focal uptake lesion was found in her upper chest. Single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) imaging showed increased uptake in multiple sites of the upper esophagus without significant thickening. Eventually, gastroscopic findings revealed multiple ectopic gastric mucosa of upper esophagus.

The prognostic value of post thyroidectomy Tc-99m pertechnetate thyroid scan in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer.

To evaluate the prognostic value of postoperative Tc-99m pertechnetate scanning in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Patients with pathologically proven low or intermediate-risk DTC were enrolled in this study. Postoperative Tc-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy was performed 20 min after IV of 185 MBq of Tc-99m pertechnetate Positive thyroid residual uptake was characterized as higher Tc-99m pertechnetate uptake at the thyroid bed than the surrounding background's activity. A negative residual was considered if there was no definite abnormal radioactivity at the thyroid bed. Follow-up by thyroglobulin, thyroglobulin antibodies (Tg Abs), neck ultrasound (US) and diagnostic I-131 WBS (Dx WBS) were considered the reference standard. Successful ablation outcome was considered if there was free Dx WBS, stimulated serum thyroglobulin < 1 ng/ml with negative Tg Abs, and free US. Two hundred and two patients, mean age; of 38.8 years were retrospectively recruited in this study. Positive residual uptake at the thyroid scan was detected in 131 patients wherea the remaining 71 patients had no detectable uptake. According to the reference standard we encountered 114 and 88 cases with successful ablation and unsuccessful ablation respectively, Tc-99m pertechnetate scanning successfully detected 63 true positive and 46 true negative cases giving 72% sensitivity, 40% specificity, 48% positive predictive value and 56% negative predictive value. In low- and intermediate-risk DTC patients; despite the relatively high sensitivity of postoperative Tc-99m pertechnetate thyroid scan, it has low specificity and low negative predictive value so it cannot be used to predict the ablation outcome.

Thyroid scintigraphy and hybrid SPECT/CT in a rare case of dual ectopic thyroid.

Dual ectopic thyroid (DET) is a rare disorder occurring as a result of aberrant embryonic development characterized by simultaneous presence of thyroid tissue at two ectopic sites. 99mTc-Pertechnetate thyroid scintigraphy remains gold standard in confirming ectopic thyroid tissue. This case highlights the importance of thyroid scintigraphy and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography with Computed Tomography (SPECT/CT) in evaluation of ectopic thyroid tissue and DET that manifested itself during patients' pregnancy.

Imaging Activated-T-Lymphocytes in the Salivary Glands of Patients with Sjögren's Syndrome by 99mTc-Interleukin-2: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Implications.

Background: Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is a progressive autoimmune disease characterized by local mononuclear cell infiltration of the salivary and lachrymal glands. Labial biopsy demonstrates local infiltration by Th1 cells that produce pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-2 (IL2). The aim of this study was to assess the utility of 99mTc-labelled-IL2 (99mTc-IL2) in evaluating in vivo the extent and severity of lympho-mononuclear cell infiltration in the salivary glands of patients with SS. Methods: We investigated 48 patients with primary SS and 27 control subjects using 99mTc-IL2 scintigraphy. Furthermore, in a subgroup of 30 patients, we also performed 99mTc-pertechnetate scintigraphy (99mTcO4−) for evaluation of the salivary gland function. Results: 99mTc-IL2 uptake in the salivary glands of SS patients was higher than in the control subjects (1.30 ± 0.16 vs. 0.83 ± 0.08 for parotids and 1.36 ± 0.15 vs. 1.16 ± 0.07 for submandibular glands; p < 0.0001). The salivary gland uptake of 99mTc-IL2 in patients with a longer history of disease was lower compared with the recently diagnosed patients. A significant direct correlation was found between the uptake of 99mTc-IL2 and histology. Conclusions: 99mTc-IL2 scintigraphy showed that the degree of lymphocytic infiltration of major salivary glands is variable in patients with different disease durations. Patients with a high 99mTc-IL2 uptake could be efficiently treated with immuno-modulatory drugs and the efficacy of treatment could be followed-up by 99mTc-IL2 scintigraphy.

Lower Gastrointestinal Bleed Playing Hide and Seek.

A 13-year-old adolescent male presented with an episode of rectal bleed. He has had five such episodes in the past year where he witnessed black tarry stools mixed with fresh blood, painless, not associated with fever or hematemesis. Clinical examination revealed pallor and a soft, non-tender abdomen. Vitals were stable. Blood investigations revealed haemoglobin of 102g/L, WBC count of 10 X 109/L and platelet count of 165 × 109/L. The clotting screen was normal. Upper GI endoscopy and colonoscopy revealed no abnormality. The patient underwent Tc-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy to look for Meckel's Diverticulum in view of painless lower GI bleed.

Integrated approach to radiodiagnosis of follicular thyroid neoplasia: a retrospective cohort trial

Background . An evidence-based diagnostic tactics for follicular thyroid gland neoplasia is lacking to date. First-line priority are radiography diagnostic techniques, which vary in capacities and therefore must be regulated in use. Objectives . An efficacy evaluation of multiparametric ultrasound (US), sonoelastography (SEG) and radionuclide scintigraphy (RS) in diagnosis of follicular thyroid neoplasms (FTN). Methods. Preoperative examination was interpreted in 222 FTN patients (86 with follicular thyroid adenoma, FTA, and 136 with follicular thyroid cancer, FTC) with subsequent surgery. A retrospective statistical data analysis was performed for B-mode US, colour Doppler imaging (CDI), power Doppler imaging (PDI), sonoelastography and Tc-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy. Results . Novel FTN descriptive evidence has been obtained. Particularly, an FTA vs. FTC trait comparison showed no reliable US marker of a node assignment to FTA or FTC. Trials of the national-manufactured TI-RADS system showed its good diagnostic potential: FTN sensitivity 89.55, specificity 77.58 and accuracy 83.52%. A SEG picture of FTN was typically motley-colour and mosaic. Young’s modulus in FTA was 27.5 ± 7.1 kPa, a higher stiffness (62.1 ± 12.1 kPa) in FTC indicated a higher likelihood of malignancy. Scintigraphy exhibited a modest capacity for FTN diagnosis (sensitivity 86.67, specificity 48.08 and accuracy 56.72%). AUC values (0.617) indicate its limited use for differential FTN diagnosis, mainly in hyperfunctioning nodules. Our experience elaborated an original algorithm for radiographic techniques application in FTN diagnosis. Conclusion. Several radiographic methods are warranted in suspected FTN. First-line is multiparametric US B-mode imaging to detect FTN priority markers and US symptom complexes. Sonoelastography is second-line in ambiguous cases to further clarify structure (stiffness) of the thyroid nodule examined. Unlike SEG, scintigraphy assesses the functional traits of thyroid nodule and so has limited indications, an important factor to consider in FTN.

Usefulness of Hybrid Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography/ Computed Tomography in a Case of Ectopic Thyroid Tissue in the Thyroglossal Duct Remnant.

Here, we report a case of a 54-year-old woman affected by thyrotoxicosis, with scintigraphic evidence of a diffuse hyperfunctioning goiter and a large ectopic thyroid tissue in the thyroglossal duct remnant. The latter was apparently more active than the two lobes at 99mTc-pertechnetate scintigraphy, mimicking a condition of preexisting increased sensitivity to thyroid-stimulating hormone stimulation. On the other hand, single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography has proven to be a very useful tool in demonstrating this activity to be similar to the thyroid lobes and in defining extension and anatomical relationships of the mass.

S2118 Angiographic Diagnosis and Treatment of Adult GI Bleeding from Meckel’s Diverticulum

INTRODUCTION: Meckel's diverticulum is the most common gastrointestinal anomaly resulting from a persistent omphalomesenteric duct. It is usually discovered in children when gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding occurs. This case demonstrates the use of provocative angiography for both the diagnosis and treatment of a bleeding Meckel's diverticulum in an adult. CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS: A 22-year-old woman with no known past medical history presented to the emergency department with a chief complaint of black stool, lightheadedness and weakness. On exam, her abdomen was soft and non-tender. Rectal exam showed black stool with bloody mucus. Labs were significant for a Hgb of 6.1 (MCV 90.1) from 12.1 one week prior. During her hospitalization she underwent several studies to determine the location of her bleed. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy, tagged red blood cell scan, and Meckel’s Scan were all normal. Video capsule endoscopy visualized blood in the terminal ileum and cecum mixed with stool, however no lesions were identified in these areas on colonoscopy. Magnetic resonance enterography was without evidence of small bowel inflammation. A visceral arteriogram was performed by interventional radiology, which was negative for bleeding until provocation was done using direct intra-arterial thrombolytic infusion (tissue plasminogen activator) that demonstrated active bleeding in an superior mesenteric artery branch which appeared to be serving a Meckel's diverticulum. Successful embolization was performed with a 3 mm coil and no further bleeding episodes occurred during her hospital stay. One month later she returned for surgical resection. Pathology confirmed Meckel's diverticulum with focal ulceration, underlying granulation tissue, and gastric heterotopia. DISCUSSION: Tc-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy (Meckel's Scan) is helpful in diagnosis of a Meckel’s diverticulum as pertechnetate is taken up by mucin-secreting cells of ectopic gastric tissue. This scan has high sensitivity and specificity in children but is drastically lower in adults as hemorrhage due to ectopic gastric mucosa is primarily a pediatric disease. For adults with suspected bleeding from a Meckel's diverticulum with multiple negative imaging modalities including a Meckel's scan, it is important to continue pursuit of the diagnosis using all means available. This case demonstrates the vital importance of provocation angiography in diagnosis of a Meckel's diverticulum that would have otherwise been missed and therefore left untreated.Figure 1.: Negative Meckel’s Scan. No heterotopic gastric mucosa visualized.Figure 2.: Angiogram before tPA administration. Red arrow indicates suspected Meckel diverticulum served by superior mesenteric artery branch.Figure 3.: Angiogram after tPA administration. Red arrow indicates area of extravasation and active bleeding.

Self-inflicted finger cold injury leading to amputation: Report of a case.

A cold injury can result in devastating outcomes, leading to significant morbidity and loss of distal extremities. Amputations are common after severe frostbite injuries with delayed presentation, often mediated by post-injury arterial thrombosis. Ischemic injuries are managed according to the ischemia time. The most controversial aspect of treating a salvage injury is the time of surgical intervention, which used to be based on the previous management dogma freeze in January, amputate in July. Recently, the paradigm has shifted to early surgical management if the level of viability of the deep structure can be ascertained using 99mTc pertechnetate scintigraphy (99mTc bone scans). We present a case of a finger amputation resulting from a cold injury secondary to a crush injury.

New-onset graves\u2019 disease after the initiation of nivolumab therapy for gastric cancer: a case report

BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can induce immune-related adverse events (irAEs) including thyroid dysfunction. There are only a few reports on Graves’ disease induced by ICIs. We report a case of new-onset Graves’ disease after the initiation of nivolumab therapy in a patient receiving gastric cancer treatment.Case presentationThe patient was a 66-year-old Japanese man, who was administered nivolumab (240 mg every 3 weeks) as a third-line therapy for stage IVb gastric cancer. His thyroid function was normal before the initiation of nivolumab therapy. However, he developed thyrotoxicosis before the third administration of nivolumab. Elevated, bilateral, and diffuse uptake of radioactive tracer was observed in the 99mTc-pertechnetate scintigraphy. Furthermore, the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibody (TRAb) and thyroid-stimulating antibody (TSAb) test results, which were negative before the first administration of nivolumab, were positive after starting the therapy. The patient was diagnosed with Graves’ disease, and the treatment with methimazole and potassium iodide restored thyroid function.ConclusionsThis is the first complete report of a case of new-onset Graves’ disease after starting nivolumab therapy, confirmed by diffusely increased thyroid uptake in scintigraphy and the positive conversion of antibodies against thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor. It is important to perform thyroid scintigraphy and ultrasonography to accurately diagnose and treat ICI-induced thyrotoxicosis, because there are various cases in which Graves’ disease is developed with negative and positive TRAb titres.

The Relationship Between 99mTc-Pertechnetate Hand Perfusion Scintigraphy and Nailfold Capillaroscopy in Systemic Sclerosis Patients: A Pilot Study.

Objectives This study aims to assess the possible relationship between 99mTc-pertechnetate hand perfusion scintigraphy (HPS) and nailfold capillaroscopy (NC) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients.Patients and methods The study group consisted of 25 SSc patients (6 males; 19 females; mean age 54.2±9.7 years; range, 32 to 67 years), 18 female patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon (PRP) (mean age 47.1±9.5 years; range, 34 to 65 years) and 10 healthy individuals (3 males, 7 females; mean age 52.7±12.6 years; range, 37 to 73 years). NC and 99mTc-pertechnetate HPS were performed in all examinees. The capillaroscopic findings were classified as normal or scleroderma pattern ("early", "active", or "late"). The fingers-to-palm ratios were calculated for both blood flow (BF) and blood pool (BP) phases of the 99mTc-pertechnetate HPS.Results Systemic sclerosis patients showed a significantly lower BP ratio than PRP patients and healthy subjects (p=0.004). No statistically significant difference was observed between the SSc and PRP patients in respect to BF ratio. A gradual decrease of BF and BP with the severity of NC microangiopathy pattern ("early", "active" or "late") was found in SSc patients, while the differences were not statistically significant. Patients with diffuse SSc showed lower BF and higher BP than those with limited SSc, while these differences were without statistical significance. There was no significant correlation between BF or BP values and type of SSc (limited or diffuse) (p=0.77 versus p=0.54, respectively) as well as three microangiopathy patterns (p=0.22 versus p=0.54, respectively).Conclusion 99mTc-pertechnetate HPS improves the evaluation of vascular damage in SSc patients. There is no direct relationship between NC and 99mTc-pertechnetate HPS; however, the two methods complement each other in the assessment of microcirculation in SSc.

Salivary gland function in thyroid cancer patients with radioiodine administration history.

Radioiodine (RAI) improves survival in patients with locally advanced or metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Although there has been an ongoing debate on RAI-induced salivary gland damage, published data have been inconsistent. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to compare salivary gland function in intermediate and high risk DTC patients after single or repeated RAI treatment with their age- and sex-matched RAI-naive counterparts. Uptake and excretion of parotid and submandibular glands were quantitatively evaluated using 99mTc-pertechnetate salivary gland scintigraphy in 23 patients previously treated with RAI. Patients (median 9.25 GBq 131I-NaI; Q1-Q3: 5.55-16.65; range: 5.55-27.5) were divided into subgroups according to previously administered 131I-NaI activity using cut-off values 5.55 GBq and 9.25 GBq. Their salivary gland scintigraphy results were compared with RAI-naive patients using Mann-Whitney test. Compared to RAI-naive patients, parotid glands pertechnetate uptake was significantly lower in those treated with > 9.25 GBq (P=0.034) and parotid glands excretion fraction was already decreased with RAI activities > 5.55 GBq (P=0.031). In submandibular glands, no statistically significant difference in either function was observed even with RAI activity > 9.25 GBq. Our data suggest that RAI therapy using activities ≤ 5.55 GBq does not substantially decrease saliva production. Activities > 5.55 GBq may lead to significant decrease in parotid excretion, and activities > 9.25 GBq also diminish parotid uptake. Surprisingly, submandibular glands, providing majority of seromucinous saliva under basal condition, seem to be unaffected even by RAI activities above 9.25 GBq.

I-124-PET/US Fusion Imaging in Comparison to Conventional Diagnostics and Tc-99m Pertechnetate SPECT/US Fusion Imaging for the Function Assessment of Thyroid Nodules

The purpose of this study is to investigate I-124 positron emission tomography (PET)/ultrasound (US) fusion imaging for function assessment of thyroid nodules. In 70 patients, 201 lesions were examined with conventional diagnostics (CD) (thyroid US, laboratory findings and Tc-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy), Tc-99m pertechnetate single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and I-124 PET/computed tomography (CT). Subsequently, US fusion imaging (SPECT/US and PET/US) was performed by three experienced investigators. Patients referred for thyroid diagnostics in a clinical routine setting were included in this study if CD produced equivocal results. PET/US was superior to CD and SPECT/US in 96% and 86%, respectively, and ambiguous findings in CD were clarified by PET/US in 96% of the 70 patients. Regarding nodule-based function assessment, 10% (66%), 39% (14%) and 71% (4%) of the 201 lesions were rated with absolute certainty (equivocal or uncertain) using CD, SPECT/US and PET/US, respectively (p < 0.001). PET/US has the potential to improve the function assessment of thyroid nodules in comparison to CD.

Developmental Outcomes in Early-treated Congenital Hypothyroidism: Specific Concern in Tc99m Thyroid Scan Role

Background Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) may cause alterations in the child's global development. The current study aimed to screen the global development of children with and without congenital hypothyroidism, focusing on communication, and cognitive abilities and to investigate the influence of illness severity, clinical history, and treatment factors in the evaluated results. Materials and Methods A case control study was conducted on 20 children with early-treated congenital hypothyroidism (CH), and controls without CH (n=100), both groups were matched for age and sex. Patients were subjected to a protocol of assessment applied in Pediatric and Phoniatrics Unit Sohag, Egypt. Assessments included detailed history and medical data, language development testing, intelligence quotient (IQ). According to TSH and T4 levels, case group was divided into controlled group and uncontrolled group. 99m pertechnetate scintigraphy of thyroid (Tc-99m TS) was recommended for all CH children. Results Children’s ages ranged between 3-7 years with a mean age of (4.6 ±1.9year). There were statistically significant differences between study and control group in presence of middle ear effusion, delayed language development, IQ scores (p<0.001). Interestingly, there was a negative correlation between IQ test and total language age with TSH level (r = -0.06, p= 0.004; r =-0.4, p=0.06), respectively. Tc-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy of thyroid confirmed transient CH diagnosis in three cases. Conclusion Despite early treatment in the studied CH children, language and cognitive skills impairments were detected. The magnitude of these impairments significantly related to TSH values and regularity of hormone replacement therapy. TS confirmed transient CH diagnosis in three cases, replacement therapy stopped in those children.

Incidental thyroid uptake during 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate bone scintigraphy in oncologic patients

Introduction: Extraosseous accumulation of 99mTc – methylene diphosphonate (MDP) may be due to neoplastic, dystrophic, hormonal, inflammatory, ischemic, traumatic or excretory disorders. 99mTc-MDP incidental thyroid uptake is not frequent and is possibly caused by the presence of dystrophic or metastatic calcification, biopsy procedure and presence of benign or malignant thyroid nodules. To analyze the etiological factors leading to 99mTc-MDP uptake in the thyroid gland. Methods: Fifty patients (pts), 19 females (38%) and 31 males (62%), 62±12 years, with no pervious history of thyroid disease, were included in the study. In the period January 2016 – January 2018, all pts underwent MDP bone scintigraphy due to oncologic indication and incidental tracer uptake was noted in the region of the thyroid gland. Ultrasonography (US) was performed in all pts. Patients with detected nodules underwent 99mTc-pertechnetate scintigraphy and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). Thyroid hormone and autoantibodies levels were also analyzed. SPECT/CT procedure was performed in all patients to precisely localize the MDP uptake. Results: Thirty-nine patients had calcifications in the thyroid gland (29 with microcalcifications and 10 with macrocalcifications). In 23 patients, thyroid nodules were detected. 99mTc-pertechnetate scintigraphy presented 15 cold nodules and 8 nodules with increased tracer uptake. FNAC in 3 patients presented nuclear anisocariosis, with Hurthle cell metaplasia, and surgery was advised. In 11 patients, thyroid cartilage calcifications were detected. Conclusion: Incidental findings of thyroid 99mTc-MDP accumulation during bone scintigraphy indicate presence of additional, previously unexpected, active disease processes.

Thyroid hemiagenesis is combined with a variety of thyroid disorders.

Thyroid hemiagenesis (TH) is a rare congenital anomaly in which one thyroid lobe fails to develop. We describe our experience with at least 13 patients presenting with TH at our department. We retrospectively analysed patients with TH, who had been referred primarily to our clinic between 2004 and 2010. In patients with TH, thyroid function parameters and thyroid autoantibodies were examined. 99mTc-pertechnetate thyroid scintigraphy and sonography were performed in all patients and confirmed the diagnosis of TH. We identified 13 patients (11 women, 2 men) with TH in our patient collective and calculated an estimated prevalence of TH of 0.08 %.We found TH to occur more frequently in the left lobe and also more frequently in females than in males. 9 patients presented with a total absence of one thyroid lobe and 4 patients presented with severe hypoplasia of one thyroid lobe with an isthmus appearing as a "hockey stick sign" on scintigraphic imaging. Associated thyroid diseases could be observed in the remaining lobe in all patients and included hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, nodular goiter, toxic goiter, hypofunctioning nodules, Graves' disease and Hashimoto-thyroiditis. The most frequent thyroid disease in our patients with TH was nodular goiter. We did not find any association of TH with malignancy. TH is mostly detected incidentally as the prevalence of TH is extraordinary low. The fact that all of our patients with TH were also affected by other forms of thyroid disease is reasonable since the patients were not referred to the diagnostic centre due to TH but rather due to the associated thyroid disease. Possibly there are different groups of TH: the symptomatic hypothyroid children, the lifelong euthyroid adults who are diagnosed incidentally through another thyroid disease and the patients with a molecular failure of proper thyroid development.