The FUSION iENA Study: Comparison of I-124-PET/US Fusion Imaging with Conventional Diagnostics for the Functional Assessment of Thyroid Nodules by Multiple Observers.
Aim To investigate the value of I-124 positron emission tomography (PET) / ultrasound (US) fusion imaging in comparison to conventional diagnostics (CD) of Thyroid nodules (TN) by multiple observers. Methods Digital patient case files (PCF) of patients that received CD and I-124-PET/US in clinical routine were prepared containing cine-loops of the examinations. All physicians with nuclear medicine specialty from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland were invited to participate. 106 acquired observers completed 7.2 ± 1.8 (median: 8, range: 4–14) randomly assigned PCF (CD only or CD+PET/US). They assessed the TN function, stated their confidence in functional assessment, and suggested a treatment course for each TN. Results 68 PCF of 34 patients comprising 66 TN ≥ 1 cm (= 1.94 TN/patient) were created. A total of 748 (11.2/TN), and 751 ratings (11.4/TN) were recorded for CD only, and CD+PET/US, respectively. The functional assessment revealed more hyper- or hypofunctioning (524 vs. 320, p Conclusion Functional assessment of equivocal TN shows frequent failures in CD, underestimating the incidence of hyper- and hypofunctioning lesions. Confidence in functional assessment significantly increases with additional PET/US. This influences the proposed treatment course.
Abstract The purpose of this study is to investigate I-124 positron emission tomography (PET)/ultrasound (US) fusion imaging for function assessment of thyroid nodules. In 70 patients, 201 lesions were examined with conventional diagnostics (CD) (thyroid US, laboratory findings and Tc-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy), Tc-99m pertechnetate single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and I-124 PET/computed tomography (CT). Subsequently, US fusion imaging (SPECT/US and PET/US) was performed b...
AbstractA 49-year-old woman presented with a multinodular goiter, causing local symptoms and hyperthyroisdism. Besides a hypofunctioning benign nodule (TIRADS 3, benign in FNAC), the conventional diagnostic revealed another small hyperfunctioning nodule with suspicious ultrasound features (TIRADS 4C
: Thyroid nodules are a common finding, especially in iodine-deficient regions. Ultrasonographic scoring systems such as the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TIRADS) are helpful in differentiating between benign and malignant thyroid nodules by offering a risk stratification model. Depending on the constellation or number of suspicious ultrasound features, a fine-needle biopsy is recommended. However, none of the previous TIRADS publications considered the functional status of the nodu...
Abstract Side-by-side evaluation of thyroid ultrasound (US) and 99mTcO4 scintigraphy can lead to uncertainties in the correct topographic assignment of thyroid nodules. The aim of this study was to evaluate 99mTcO4 single-photon emission computed tomography/ultrasound (SPECT/US) fusion imaging. Seventy-nine patients were prospectively investigated. If conventional diagnostics of the thyroid gland (B-mode-US, scintigraphy) produced unclear findings, SPECT was performed and transferred to a US dev...
AbstractEvaluation of thyroid ultrasound and 99mTc-pertechnetate scintigraphy side by side frequently produces ambiguous results regarding the correct assignment of anatomy and functionality of a nodule. We describe the usefulness of 99mTc-pertechnetate-SPECT/US-fusion imaging. A 75-year-old woman w
Abstract Introduction Hyperthyroidism is rarely associated with malignancy, but it cannot rule out thyroid cancer. Although there is published data describing this coexistence, thyroid carcinomas inside autonomously functioning nodules are uncommon. Presentation of case A 49-year-old woman presented with a cervical mass, unexplained weight loss and anxiousness, sweating and insomnia. On physical examination, she had a palpable left thyroid nodule. Thyroid function tests showed suppressed TSH ( D...
Molecular fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology diagnostics has the potential to address the inherent limitation of FNA cytology which is an indeterminate (atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance follicular neoplasm) cytology. Because of the emerging role of molecular FNA cytology diagnostics, the European Thyroid Association convened a panel of international experts to review methodological aspects, indications, results, and limitations of molecular FN...
Abstract Thyroid nodules are a frequent finding on neck sonography. Most nodules are benign; therefore, many nodules are biopsied to identify the small number that are malignant or require surgery for a definitive diagnosis. Since 2009, many professional societies and investigators have proposed ultrasound-based risk stratification systems to identify nodules that warrant biopsy or sonographic follow-up. Because some of these systems were founded on the BI-RADS ® classification that is widely us...
AIM: In a screening study on people of working age the prevalence of morphological thyroid disorders was 33.1 %. It is not known precisely whether this further increases after retirement. The present study aimed to establish whether the increase in the prevalence of morphological and functional thyroid disorders continues beyond working age in elderly citizens. METHODS: 223 participants were recruited in an institute for geriatric rehabilitative medicine. All patients were screened by thyroid ul...
Germany has a long history of insufficient iodine supply and thyroid nodules occur in over 30% of the adult population, the vast majority of which are benign. Non-invasive diagnostics remain challenging, and ultrasound-based risk stratification systems are essential for selecting lesions requiring further clarification. However, no recommendation can yet be made about which system performs the best for iodine deficiency areas. In a German multicenter approach, 1211 thyroid nodules from 849 conse...
Last. Michael C. Kreissl(Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg)H-Index: 5
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Both, ultrasonography but also radionuclide imaging using [99mTc]Pertechnetate or radioactive iodine isotopes are essential tools used during the diagnostic workup of hyperthyroidism with or without structural alterations of the thyroid. Colour duplex sonography and ultrasound elastography may add important information in order to find the cause of the hormone excess. During the last years, also hybrid imaging using SPECT/-(CT) or PET-based methods, such as [124]Iodine-PET/CT or [124]Iodine-PET/...
Conventional ultrasound (US) is time-consuming, and results are subjected to high interobserver variability. In this study, the reliability of a novel thyroid US cine loop standard operating procedure (SOP) applied by non-physicians (Medical Technical Assistant, MTA) is investigated. Thirty-three consecutive patients (22 females, 11 males) were enrolled. Patients underwent conventional thyroid US performed by a nuclear medicine physician and additional MTA US cine loop according to a local SOP t...
Aus fachfremder Sicht wird der Stellenwert der „konventionellen“ Schilddrusenszintigrafie zur Klarung diverser thyreologischer Fragestellungen international mittlerweile weit niedriger eingeschatzt, als dies dem hierzulande tatigen Nuklearmediziner bewusst ist. Dieser Aufsatz gibt einen Uberblick uber haufig geauserte Kritikpunkte an der Schilddrusenszintigrafie und mochte einiges hierzu klarstellen sowie in berechtigten Fallen fundierte Gegenargumente liefern. In diesem Rahmen wird ein Uberblic...
In conventional thyroid diagnostics, the topographical correlation between thyroid nodules (TN) depicted on ultrasound (US) in axial or sagittal orientation and coronally displayed scintigraphy images can be challenging. Sensor-navigated I-124-PET/US fusion imaging has been introduced as a problem-solving tool for ambiguous cases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the results of multiple unexperienced medical students (MS) versus multiple nuclear medicine physicians (MD) regarding the...
