M. Eldesouki et al., THYROID SCINTIGRAPHY AND PERCHLORATE DISCHARGE TEST IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF CONGENITAL HYPOTHYROIDISM, European journal of nuclear medicine, 22(9), 1995, pp. 1005-1008
Quantitative thyroid scanning using low doses of technetium-99m sodium
pertechnetate was performed on 147 infants (55 males and 92 females)
with congenital hypothyroidism detected through the national neonatal
screening programme. Thirty-two (21.8%) were athyrotic, while 62 (42.2
%) had an ectopic thyroid and 53 (36%) had a eutopic gland with increa
sed Tc-99m uptake (mean 17%; range, 5%-38%). The perchlorate discharge
test (PDT) was performed in nine of the infants with ectopic glands a
nd 15 with eutopic glands; the findings were consistent with an organi
fication defect in 22 cases (seven ectopic and 15 eutopic). Thyroid sc
intigraphy and PDT can add useful aetiological, genetic and prognostic
information in the clinical evaluation of infants with congenital hyp
othyroidism detected by neonatal screening.