DIAGNOSTIC-SIGNIFICANCE OF DENTAL HISTORY IN THE CLINICAL-EVALUATION OF PATIENTS WITH THYROID-CARCINOMA - PERIODONTAL SURGERY MIMICKING A METASTASIS ON I-131 WHOLE-BODY SURVEY

A whole body scan after the administration of 10 mCi of I-131 was performed on a 45-year-old woman who 1 year earlier had a partial thyroidectomy and a therapeutic dose of 150 mCi of I-131 for follicular thyroid carcinoma. An area of increased activity was demonstrated in the left side of the neck on the 24-hour and 48-hour images, thought to represent a functioning thyroid metastasis. Oral examination and medical history revealed significant dental disease and recent periodontal surgery of the left maxilla. The area of abnormal uptake was, therefore, attributed to a combination of dental disease and peridontal surgery.