Seminars in nuclear medicine
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Depending on the iodine supply of an area, the incidence of thyroid cancer ranges between 4 and 12/100,000 per year. To detect thyroid cancer in an early stage, the assessment of thyroid nodules includes ultrasonography, ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy, and conventional scintigraphic methods using (99m)Tc-pertechnetate, (99m)Tc-sestamibi or -tetrofosmin, and (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in selected cases. After treatment of thyroid cancer, a consequent follow-up is necessary over a period of several years. ⋯ The method of choice to image these iodine negative metastases is FDG-PET. In recent years the combination of PET and computed tomography has been introduced. The fusion of the metabolic and morphologic information was able to increase the diagnostic accuracy, reduces pitfalls and changes therapeutic strategies in a reasonable number of patients.