Thyroid scan

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Thyroid enlargement - scintiscan

A thyroid scan is a nuclear medicine examination that uses the emissions of gamma rays from radioactive iodine to help determine whether a patient has thyroid problems, including hyperthyroidism, cancer, or other growths.

Scan - thyroid; Radioactive iodine screening test - thyroid; RAUI; Nuclear scan - thyroid

You will be given a pill that contains radioactive iodine, and then you will wait as the iodine collects in the thyroid. The first scan is usually 4 - 6 hours after the iodine has been ingested, and another scan may be taken 24-hours later. Additional or substitute imaging may be performed using a compound containing technetium.

After the radioactive iodine has been absorbed by the thyroid, you will lie on your back on a movable table with your neck and chest positioned under the scanner. The scanner detects the location and intensity of the gamma rays emitted. During this part of the procedure, you must lie still to let the scanner get a clear image.

Next, the information is sent to a computer that displays images of the thyroid and any possible nodules that have absorbed the iodine.

You must sign a consent form. You may be told not to eat after midnight the night before the exam. Consult the health care provider if you are taking any medications that may need to be regulated, such as thyroid medication and anything with iodine in it. Remove jewelry, dentures, or other metals, because they may interfere with the image.

Some patients find remaining still during the test uncomfortable.

When thyroid cancer or nodules are suspected.

Review Date: 08/03/2005
Reviewed By: Jonathan Gross, M.D., Department of Radiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.