Positron emission tomography–computed tomography-associated incidental neoplasms of the thyroid gland

With the increasing use of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT) scans in oncology, the finding of thyroid incidentalomas, also popularly described as PET-associated incidental neoplasms (PAINs) of the thyroid gland is not unusual. The 18F-FDG PET-CT...

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Main Authors: K Kamakshi, Arvind Krishnamurthy, V Karthik, Preetha Vinodkumar, R Kumar, K Lakshmipathy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 2020-01-01
Series:World Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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Online Access:http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.4103/wjnm.WJNM_33_19
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author K Kamakshi
Arvind Krishnamurthy
V Karthik
Preetha Vinodkumar
R Kumar
K Lakshmipathy
author_facet K Kamakshi
Arvind Krishnamurthy
V Karthik
Preetha Vinodkumar
R Kumar
K Lakshmipathy
author_sort K Kamakshi
collection DOAJ
description With the increasing use of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT) scans in oncology, the finding of thyroid incidentalomas, also popularly described as PET-associated incidental neoplasms (PAINs) of the thyroid gland is not unusual. The 18F-FDG PET-CT scans of all patients who underwent imaging for indications other than thyroid malignancy at our tertiary care center between January 1 and December 31, 2017, were retrospectively reviewed for PAINs of the thyroid. A total of 173718F-FDG PET-CT scans were done at our center in the year 2017. 288 thyroid incidentalomas were detected in the said period; the rate of PET-CT-detected thyroid incidentalomas being 16.58%, focal incidentalomas among them being 11.7%. Only 29 out of 204 patients (14.21%) with focal thyroid incidentalomas in our cohort underwent an aspiration cytology and/or ultrasound. The rate of malignancy among the PET detected focal thyroid incidentalomas in the cohort of patients with a proven diagnosis was 10.34%. Our study highlights the challenges in the evaluation and management of PAIN in a tertiary care oncology setting. None of the factors studied including nodule size and standardized uptake value predicted the risk of malignancy. Clinicians specializing in the management of thyroid nodules need to understand the clinical significance of the PAIN, and we hope that our unique experience adds to the limited clinical information available in this regard.
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spelling doaj-art-ed62ba10c9374e8bacf168cc79e6597c2025-08-20T02:54:42ZengThieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.World Journal of Nuclear Medicine1450-11471607-33122020-01-011901364010.4103/wjnm.WJNM_33_19Positron emission tomography–computed tomography-associated incidental neoplasms of the thyroid glandK Kamakshi0Arvind Krishnamurthy1V Karthik2Preetha Vinodkumar3R Kumar4K Lakshmipathy5Department of Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute (WIA), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, IndiaDepartment of Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute (WIA), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, IndiaDepartment of Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute (WIA), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, IndiaDepartment of Clinical Research, Cancer Institute (WIA), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, IndiaDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, Cancer Institute (WIA), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, IndiaHCG PET-CT Centre, Chennai, Tamil NaduWith the increasing use of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT) scans in oncology, the finding of thyroid incidentalomas, also popularly described as PET-associated incidental neoplasms (PAINs) of the thyroid gland is not unusual. The 18F-FDG PET-CT scans of all patients who underwent imaging for indications other than thyroid malignancy at our tertiary care center between January 1 and December 31, 2017, were retrospectively reviewed for PAINs of the thyroid. A total of 173718F-FDG PET-CT scans were done at our center in the year 2017. 288 thyroid incidentalomas were detected in the said period; the rate of PET-CT-detected thyroid incidentalomas being 16.58%, focal incidentalomas among them being 11.7%. Only 29 out of 204 patients (14.21%) with focal thyroid incidentalomas in our cohort underwent an aspiration cytology and/or ultrasound. The rate of malignancy among the PET detected focal thyroid incidentalomas in the cohort of patients with a proven diagnosis was 10.34%. Our study highlights the challenges in the evaluation and management of PAIN in a tertiary care oncology setting. None of the factors studied including nodule size and standardized uptake value predicted the risk of malignancy. Clinicians specializing in the management of thyroid nodules need to understand the clinical significance of the PAIN, and we hope that our unique experience adds to the limited clinical information available in this regard.http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.4103/wjnm.WJNM_33_19positron emission tomographypositron emission tomography associated incidental neoplasmsprognosisthyroid incidentalomas
spellingShingle K Kamakshi
Arvind Krishnamurthy
V Karthik
Preetha Vinodkumar
R Kumar
K Lakshmipathy
Positron emission tomography–computed tomography-associated incidental neoplasms of the thyroid gland
World Journal of Nuclear Medicine
positron emission tomography
positron emission tomography associated incidental neoplasms
prognosis
thyroid incidentalomas
title Positron emission tomography–computed tomography-associated incidental neoplasms of the thyroid gland
title_full Positron emission tomography–computed tomography-associated incidental neoplasms of the thyroid gland
title_fullStr Positron emission tomography–computed tomography-associated incidental neoplasms of the thyroid gland
title_full_unstemmed Positron emission tomography–computed tomography-associated incidental neoplasms of the thyroid gland
title_short Positron emission tomography–computed tomography-associated incidental neoplasms of the thyroid gland
title_sort positron emission tomography computed tomography associated incidental neoplasms of the thyroid gland
topic positron emission tomography
positron emission tomography associated incidental neoplasms
prognosis
thyroid incidentalomas
url http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.4103/wjnm.WJNM_33_19
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AT preethavinodkumar positronemissiontomographycomputedtomographyassociatedincidentalneoplasmsofthethyroidgland
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