HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ziessman, H. A. Articles by Dubiansky, V. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ziessman, H. A. Articles by Dubiansky, V.

Hepatic Visualization on Iodine-131 Whole-Body Thyroid Cancer Scans

Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Georgetown University Medical Center

Correspondence: For reprints contact: Harvey A. Ziessman, MD, Georgetown University Hospital, Div. of Nuclear Medicine, 3800 Reservoir Rd., NW, Washington, DC 20007.

ABSTRACT

This study examines the frequency and significance of diffuse liver uptake on ¹³¹I whole-body thyroid cancer scans. Sixty whole-body scans on 27 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer were reviewed. Liver uptake was quantitated on another 21 studies (16 patients). Diffuse hepatic uptake was seen in 44% of patients and 35% of all the studies. It correlated best with the ¹³¹I dose administered (r = 0.733) and the product of the ¹³¹I percent radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU) and administered dose (r = 0.656), less well with the serum ¹³¹I protein bound iodine (r = 0.494) and the RAIU. This study demonstrates that liver visualization is more common than generally appreciated and is related to the ¹³¹I dose and indices of thyroid function although other factors may also play a role in liver visualization.