Relationship between The Expressions of Sodium/Iodide Symporter and The Findings of Thallium-201 Scan in Thyroid Nodules / 대한내분비학회지

BACKGROUND: The sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) has an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of well differentiated thyroid carcinoma. The relationship between the uptake of thallium- 201 scan (201Tl scan) and the expression of sodium/iodide symporter (hNIS) was studied in thyroid nodules. METHODS: Patients that had undergone operations for thyroid nodules, and who received a 201Tl scan before their operations, were investigated. Anti-NIS antibodies were used to analyze the presence and distribution of the hNIS protein by immunohistochemical staining of their thyroid tissues. RESULTS: Forty-four patients (papillary carcinoma; 18, follicular adenoma; 11, adenomatous goiter; 14, nonspecific thyroiditis; 1) 30 with no immunoreactivity and 14 with a positive reaction to the anti-NIS antibody, were included. The NIS negative patients (12/30) had no 201Tl uptake, but all others were positive on 201Tl scan, and the NIS-positive patients (13/14) had positive 201Tl uptake, with 1 negative on 201Tl scan, with significant difference (p=0.035). Of the 18 patients with a papillary thyroid carcinoma, the NIS negative patients (2/10) had no 201Tl uptake and the others were positive on 201Tl scan, but without significant difference. NIS positive patients (1/8) with a papillary thyroid carcinoma had no 201Tl uptake, and the others were positive on 201Tl scan, but without significant difference. Whether the results of NIS staining and 201Tl scan were positive or not did not affect the responses of radioactive iodine therapy in our study. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that thallium-201 uptake may be correlated with hNIS expression in thyroid nodules

A case of coronary fistula between the left anterior descending and main pulmonary artery complicating acute myocardial infarction in a 27-year-old man / 대한내과학회지

We report a case of coronary fistula between the left anterior descending and main pulmonary artery complicating acute non-Q wave myocardial infarction. A 27-year-old man visited emergency department because of severe chest pain lasting two hours. The electrocardiogram showed ST segment elevation in precordial leads V3~6. Cardiac enzymes were as follows;CK-MB:36.44 IU/L T-T:0.489 ng/mL, CPK:542 IU/L, and LDH:475 IU/L. The thallium-201 dipyridamole stress perfusion scan showed perfusion defect and reversed redistribution in the anteroseptal wall. The coronary angiogram revealed coronary artery fistula between the proximal left anterior descending artery and main pulmonary artery without significant stenoses of coronary arteries. The result of ergonovine test was negative. After micro-coil embolization to the coronary fistula, symptoms were improved. Follow-up thallium-201 scan showed normalized blood flow in the left anteroseptal wall.

Thallium-291 Whole Body Scintigraphy in Postoperative Follow-up of Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma / 대한내분비학회지

BACKGROUND: The advantages of thallium (Tl)-201 whole body scan in follow-up of patients with thyroid carcinoma include no need to discontinue thyroid hormone replacement, a shorter period of time between injection and imaging, a lower radiation dose, and preservation of affinity for subsequent therapeutic dose of 131I. To evaluate the reliability of whole body scintigraphy using Tl-201 in postoperative follow-up of thyroid carcinoma, this procedure was performed in patients after total thyroidectomy for thyroid carcinoma. The results were compared with those of 131I scintigraphy. METHODS: One hundred nineteen cases (119 patients) with a median age of 43 years (range, 20 85 years) were included in the study. After optimal endogenous thyroid-stimulating hormone stimulation (>50 mIU/mL), 131I (4 mCi) scan and Tl 201 (3 mCi) scan were simultaneously performed. Concomitantly serum thyroglobulin and anti-thyroglobulin antibody levels were checked. If abnormal findings on any of the scintigraphic methods or high levels of thyroglobulin (> 10 ng/mL) were detected, high dose (150~200mCi) 131I was administered as therapy and then whole body scans were performed repeatedly after the therapy. The presence or absence of thyroid cancer was established by pathologic, radiologic, and/or high dose 131I scan findings. RESULTS: In 12 patients, ll-201 scan revealed positive accumulations which were not found on 131I scan, of whom 9 had elevated thyroglobulin levels. In these cases, 5 cases were interpreted to have normal thyroid remnant and 7 cases showed pathologic findings (1 lung, 2 lymph node, 1 bone, and 2 lung and lymph node metastasis, and 1 false positive accumulation of thallium). Metastasis were confirmed histologically in 2 and radiologically in 5 cases. Negative Tl-201 scans, despite of positive 131I scans, occurred in 20 patients, of whom 6 had abnormal thyroglobulin levels. Seventeen cases were interpreted to have thyroid remnant, 2 cases were diagnosed to have thyroid carcinoma metastasis (1 lung, 1 lung and lymph node), and 1 case was not confumed. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that 131I scan is superior to 11-201 scan for detection of residual or metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma. However, the use of combined modalities may provide a higher diagnostic yield. TI-201 scan can be useful especially in cases in which 'I scan is negative despite of abnormal thyroglobulin levels.