Thyroid Ultrasound: More Sensitive than Radioactive Iodine Imaging in Detecting Recurrence of Papillary Thyroid Cancer in Two Pediatric Patients

Horm Res Paediatr. 2018;90(1):66-72. doi: 10.1159/000487436. Epub 2018 May 25.

Abstract

Background: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is an uncommon pediatric disease with an excellent prognosis. In follow-up surveillance, neck ultrasound (US), basal and thyroid-stimulating hormone-stimulated serum thyroglobulin (Tg) levels, and diagnostic whole-body radioactive iodine scans (DxWBS) have been traditionally used in both adults and children for the detection of recurrence or metastases of PTC.

Methods: Two pediatric patients with metastatic PTC were followed after standard ablative treatment with routine neck US and serum Tg levels, as well as periodic DxWBS.

Results: Neck US identified recurrent and metastatic PTC which DxWBS failed to detect.

Conclusion: Neck US was superior to DxWBS in the detection of recurrent PTC in these 2 pediatric patients. These findings are consistent with the 2015 American Thyroid Association (ATA) Guidelines that neck US is an ideal imaging modality in pediatric patients for the surveillance of PTC local recurrence or lymph node metastases.

Keywords: Pediatric endocrinology; Pediatrics; Thyroglobulin; Thyroid cancer; Thyroid ultrasonography; Ultrasonography.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Female
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / blood
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / pathology
  • Humans
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / blood
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / diagnostic imaging*
  • Radionuclide Imaging
  • Thyroglobulin / blood
  • Thyroid Cancer, Papillary / blood
  • Thyroid Cancer, Papillary / diagnostic imaging*
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / blood
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Thyrotropin / blood
  • Ultrasonography

Substances

  • Thyrotropin
  • Thyroglobulin