Pulmonary sequestration: a (131)I whole body scintigraphy false-positive result

Ann Nucl Med. 2014 Aug;28(7):683-7. doi: 10.1007/s12149-014-0838-5.

Abstract

A 35-year-old woman affected by a well-differentiated papillary thyroid carcinoma was referred to our hospital to perform a (131)Iodine ((131)I) whole body scintigraphy for restaging purpose. The patient had been previously treated with total thyroidectomy and three subsequent doses of (131)I for the ablation of a remnant jugular tissue and a suspected metastatic focus at the superior left hemi-thorax. In spite of the previous treatments with (131)I, planar and tomographic images showed the persistence of an area of increased uptake at the superior left hemi-thorax. This finding prompted the surgical resection of the lesion. Histological examination of the surgical specimen showed the presence of a pulmonary tissue consistent with pulmonary sequestration. Even though rare, pulmonary sequestration should be included in the potential causes of false-positive results of radioiodine scans.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Bronchopulmonary Sequestration / diagnostic imaging*
  • False Positive Reactions
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Iodine Radioisotopes
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Whole Body Imaging*

Substances

  • Iodine Radioisotopes