Expect the Unexpected: Artifacts From Lodged 124I Capsule in Esophagus on PET/CT

Abstract

A 61-year-old woman with well-differentiated thyroid cancer underwent 124I-PET/CT imaging. A 124I capsule was administered orally, and the patient was imaged 90 minutes after from the skull vertex to feet. The 124I capsule was unexpectedly lodged in the esophagus. We illustrate attenuation and scatter correction artifacts from 124I capsule unexpectedly lodged in the esophagus and the usefulness of nonattenuation correction images in such circumstances. This also highlights the importance of drinking adequate amounts of water following the ingestion of iodine capsules (123I, 124I, or 131I) to reduce the resulting radiation dose to the esophagus.