| Abstract | There are few indications for ordering a RAIU or a thyroid scan in a primary care setting. In suspected hyperthyroidism, a sensitive thyrotropin assay should be the initial test ordered. If the thyrotropin level is low or suppressed, and the diagnosis of thyroiditis vs Graves' hyperthyroidism is not clear, a RAIU test is appropriate. In the case of a euthyroid nodular goiter, fine-needle aspiration is the most accurate initial test to evaluate for malignancy. The primary indication for a scan in the case of a euthyroid nodular goiter is a low or suppressed thyrotropin level, because malignancy is rare in a hot nodule. If thyroid cancer or congenital hypothyroidism is encountered, referral to an endocrinologist is probably the most expedient and cost-effective way to proceed. |
| Authors | Sharon Y Wu, Roy E Weiss
(Affiliation: Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, USA.)
|
| Journal | Postgraduate medicine
(Postgrad Med)
2006 Jul-Aug
Vol. 119
Issue 2
Pg. 70-7
ISSN: 0032-5481 [Print] United States |
| PMID | 16961055
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
|
| Chemical References |
|
| Topics |
- Humans
- Iodine Radioisotopes
(diagnostic use)
- Thyroid Diseases
(radionuclide imaging)
|