Visualisation of a paraganglioma by technetium-99m-sestamibi scintigraphy

A 68-yr-old woman presented to our observation with multinodular goiter and a contiguous right laterocervical mass. In spite of ultrasound, technetium and iodine scan, CT and fine-needle biopsy, the precise origin of the mass remained uncertain. On additional multi-phase sestamibi scan, the neck reg...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of endocrinological investigation 1999-04, Vol.22 (4), p.296-300
Main Authors: PIGA, M, FARINA, G. P, LOI, G. L, SERRA, A, CALIA, M. A, LAI, L, ZUCCA, G, MARIOTTI, S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Female
Goiter, Nodular - complications
Goiter, Nodular - diagnostic imaging
Head and Neck Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging
Humans
Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects)
Kinetics
Medical sciences
Neck - diagnostic imaging
Nervous system
Paraganglioma - complications
Paraganglioma - diagnostic imaging
Paraganglioma - metabolism
Radionuclide Imaging
Radionuclide investigations
Radiopharmaceuticals
Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi
Thyroid Gland - diagnostic imaging
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Summary:A 68-yr-old woman presented to our observation with multinodular goiter and a contiguous right laterocervical mass. In spite of ultrasound, technetium and iodine scan, CT and fine-needle biopsy, the precise origin of the mass remained uncertain. On additional multi-phase sestamibi scan, the neck region showed an early high uptake rapidly decreasing over time in the laterocervical mass, and a persistent inhomogeneous distribution in the thyroid gland. This behavior suggested that the laterocervical mass could derive from an anatomical structure other than the thyroid. Surgical exploration established the extrathyroid nature of the laterocervical mass and the histological examination confirmed that it was a typical paraganglioma. This finding is in keeping with a recent report of positive sestamibi uptake in a cervical paraganglioma, although our case showed a more rapid kinetic. This tumor should be therefore taken into consideration in the differential interpretation of focal sestamibi uptake.
ISSN:0391-4097
1720-8386
DOI:10.1007/BF03343559