Is there still a role for thyroid scintigraphy in the workup of a thyroid nodule in the era of fine needle aspiration cytology and molecular testing?

Rodrigo Moreno-Reyes; Aglaia Kyrilli; Maria Lytrivi; Carole Bourmorck; Rayan Chami; Bernard Corvilain

doi:10.12688/f1000research.7880.1

Is there still a role for thyroid scintigraphy in the workup of a thyroid nodule in the era of fine needle aspiration cytology and molecular testing?

F1000Res. 2016 Apr 27:5:F1000 Faculty Rev-763. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.7880.1. eCollection 2016.

Authors

Rodrigo Moreno-Reyes¹, Aglaia Kyrilli², Maria Lytrivi², Carole Bourmorck², Rayan Chami², Bernard Corvilain²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Nuclear Medicine, Erasme University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
² Department of Endocrinology, Erasme University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.

Abstract

Thyroid scintigraphy is now rarely used in the work-up of a thyroid nodule except in the presence of a low TSH value. Therefore, autonomously functioning thyroid nodules (AFTNs) with a normal TSH value are diagnosed only in the rare medical centers that continue to use thyroid scan systematically in the presence of a thyroid nodule. In this review, we discuss the prevalence of AFTN with a normal TSH level and the possible consequences of performing fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in an undiagnosed AFTN. We also discuss the risk of malignant AFTN which may be higher than previously stated.

Keywords: AFTN; Thyroid; scintigraphy.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declared that no grants were involved in supporting this work.