SCINTIGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS OF THYROID-CANCER - CORRELATION OF THYROID SCINTIGRAPHY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY

Scintigraphy is part of the routine examination of thyroid disease, ye t there are few published reports on its utility and pitfalls. Out of 2 025 consecutive thyroid examinations after excluding 230 cases of pr oven thyroid malignancies, 403 patients who underwent surgery were stu died for histopathologic correlation. There were 232 with cold nodules , 143 with multinodular goiters (MNG) and 28 with uniformly increased uptake suggestive of toxic goiter. Malignancy was reported in 72 of th e 232 cold nodules (31%). In solitary nodules, the examination was use ful in selecting cases for surgery and, in cold lesions, for planning of surgery. In the majority of patients with MNG or thyrotoxicosis who were operated on, scintigraphy provided no additional information. MN G requires scintigraphy only in selected cases where there is strong s uspicion of malignancy. Contrary to reports in the literature, papilla ry carcinoma was found to be associated with MNG in our patients.