Contaminated Handkerchief Artifact on I-131 Whole Body Scan

摘要

One role of the whole body thyroid scan is to follow patients with a history of thyroid carcinoma to assess for recurrence. It is essential for physicians to differentiate between contamination artifacts and true pathology when interpreting these studies. Contamination from I-131 in nasal secretions has been reported in the literature. Knowledge of such contamination may provide insight for improving future scan acquisition technique and image interpretation. We present the whole body I-131 images of a 66 year-old male with previous thyroid carcinoma to reiterate the importance of examining patients for accessories that may lead to scan misinterpretation. Introduction One role of the whole body thyroid scan is to follow patients with a history of thyroid carcinoma to assess for recurrence. It is essential for physicians to differentiate between contamination artifacts and true pathology when interpreting these studies. Contamination from I-131 in nasal secretions has been reported in the literature. Knowledge of such contamination may provide insight for improving future scan acquisition technique and image interpretation. Case Report We present the whole body I-131 images of a 66 year-old male with previous thyroid carcinoma to reiterate the importance of examining patients for accessories that may lead to scan misinterpretation.