Thallium-201 scan in evaluating thyroid nodules following equivocal fine-needle aspiration cytology
Lee, J.K.; Liu, R.S.; Wu, S.Y.; Huang, W.S.; Chou, M.C.
Nuklearmedizin. Nuclear Medicine 45(5): 201-205
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 0029-5566 PMID: 17043730 Document Number: 602901
The AIM of this prospective study was to evaluate the usefulness of the thallium-201 ( (201) Tl) thyroid scan in the detection of malignancy in cold thyroid nodules whose status was equivocal following palpation fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). Fifty-one patients with clinically palpable solitary cold thyroid nodules classified as non-diagnostic or suspicious following biopsy underwent (201) Tl thyroid scans. Each scan was performed 15 min (early scan) and 3 h (delayed scan) after an intravenous administration of 74 MBq (201) Tl. Thallium uptake in the nodules was visually assessed and scored on a three point scale, with a grade of three defining malignancy. All patients underwent surgery and the histopathology of nodule tissues were compared with results of the scans. Fifty-one nodules were examined. Forty were benign and 11 were malignant. For early scans, the diagnostically relevant parameters were: sensitivity (100%), specificity (75%), and accuracy (80%). Corresponding findings for the delayed scan were: 91%, 98%, and 96%. The (201) Tl scan is useful for detecting malignancy in cold thyroid nodules classified as nondiagnostic or suspicious lesions by FNAC.