[Clinical result of thyroid scintigraphy and iodine estimations using a fluorescent technique (author's transl)]

The new technique of quantitative fluorescent scintigraphy was used for determining the regional distribution and concentration of stable intrathyroid iodine (127 I) in 96 patients. Average iodine concentration in normal people (20 individuals) without thyroid enlargement living in the Bavarian iodine-deficiency area was 0.38 +/- 0.07 mg/g. In 32 patients with simple goitres it was significantly lower at 0.17 +/- 0.06 mg/g. With this technique it was possible to separate two types of hyperthyroidism amongst 21 patients: those with low iodine concentration in the thyroid (0.15 +/- 0.08 mg/g) and those with high iodine concentration (0.42 +/- 0.12 mg/g) after iodine administration. The iodine concentration in decompensated autonomous adenomas in twelve patients was usually low (0.12 +/- 0.12 mg/g). On the other hand iodine concentration was high in the paranodular tissues and could be demonstrated on the fluorescent scintigram. The quality of the scintigram using this technique for concentrations below 0.1 mg/g is inadequate. In this situation good imates can be obtained by radionucleid scintgrams. The situation is reversed by previous administration of iodine.