Accumulation of 131Iodine in the nasolacrimal sac/duct after radioiodine therapy for papillary thyroid cancer

Authors

  • Sharjeel Usmani Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sultan Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Care and Research Center (SQCCCRC), Muscat Oman.
  • Anjali Jain Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sultan Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Care and Research Center (SQCCCRC), Muscat Oman
  • Khulood Al Riyami Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sultan Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Care and Research Center (SQCCCRC), Muscat Oman
  • Sofiullah Abubakar Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sultan Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Care and Research Center (SQCCCRC), Muscat Oman

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47391/JPMA.23-22

Abstract

SPECT/CT is a powerful tool for assessing unexpected concentrations of radioiodine resulting from benign uptake in organs with sodium-iodide symporter (NIS) expression. We report a case of accumulation of 131Iodine in the nasolacrimal sac/duct after radioiodine therapy for papillary thyroid cancer. A whole-body scan was taken 3 days after the administration of 5.5 GBq of 131Iodine. SPECT/CT images localized the focal tracer uptake in the nasolacrimal sac/duct likely due to nasolacrimal duct obstruction secondary to prior radioiodine or iodine therapies. Hybrid SPECT/CT allows precise anatomical localization and help differentiate benign mimics of disease, which can alter patient management.

Keywords: 131Iodine SPECT-CT, thyroid cancer, papillary thyroid cancer, nasolacrimal duct obstruction

Downloads

Published

2023-02-15

Issue

Vol. 73 No. 3 (2023): March

Section

IMAGING CORNER