García-Moreno RM, Escabias C, Utrilla C, Ruiz-Bravo E, Sánchez M, Lecumberri B. Orbital Radioiodine Uptake on Scintigraphy in a Patient with Thyroid Cancer.
Eur Thyroid J 2019;
8:221-224. [PMID:
31602366 PMCID:
PMC6738140 DOI:
10.1159/000499911]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Orbital radioiodine uptake in patients with thyroid cancer is very uncommon with only a few reported cases, most of them being metastasis. The accumulation of 131I in nonthyroidal tissues and body fluids can lead to false-positive results in scintigraphy, which are sometimes difficult to differentiate from true metastases.
CASE REPORT
A post-therapy 131I whole-body (WBI) scintigraphy in an asymptomatic 57-year-old female with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) previously treated with total thyroidectomy and 6 ablative radioiodine doses showed a focal uptake in the right eyeball region. The lesion, placed in the orbital space, was surgically removed, and histology revealed a conjunctival inclusion cyst.
DISCUSSION
Ocular and orbital metastases from thyroid cancer, as well as some non-neoplastic disorders or contamination, are possible causes for 131I uptake in the orbital region in scintigraphy. Conjunctival inclusion cyst is a condition associated with incidental 131I uptake that had not been reported before and should be ruled out as a non-metastatic cause of orbital radioiodine uptake in patients with PTC.
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