Radionuclide imaging of thyroid

Thyroid radionuclide imaging is most commonly used to identify the nature, number, and size of thyroid nodules. A dense nodule called "hot nodule" often indicates that the nodule is a benign, high-functioning adenoma. Most thyroid cancers are "cold nodules." Thyroid imaging can determine the size, shape, and location of the thyroid (ectopic thyroid, retrosternal thyroid); identify the nature of neck masses, and look for metastatic lesions of thyroid cancer (cancers with 131I function); some sporadic Cretin's thyroid deficiency; the size and weight of the patient's thyroid gland can be used to determine the amount of surgical resection and the therapeutic dose of radioactive 131I; it can also be used to evaluate the weight of the thyroid gland before 131I for hyperthyroidism, and to observe the shape of residual thyroid tissue after surgery, etc. .