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Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Synchronous Triplanar Reconstruction Integrated with Color Doppler Mapping for Precise and Rapid Localization of Thyroid Lesions
Published on: February 9, 2024
Thyroid uptake of 67Ga-citrate is associated with thyroid autoimmunity and hypothyroidism in patients with
Alessandro Antonelli1, Piera Fazzi, Poupak Fallahi
1Metabolism Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pisa and CNR Institute of Clinical Physiology, Via Roma, 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy. a.antonelli@med.unipi.it
Purpose:
To evaluate the association of gallium-67 ((67)Ga)-citrate thyroid uptake with the presence of thyroid disorders in patients with sarcoidosis (S patients).
Methods:
Eighty-four S patients were evaluated by a complete thyroid work-up (neck ultrasound, circulating thyroid hormones and anti-thyroid antibodies, fine-needle aspiration).
Results:
In S patients with (67)Ga thyroid uptake (respect those without): serum thyroid-stimulating hormone, the titre of anti-thyroid peroxidase (AbTPO) and/or anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (AbTg), and the prevalence of S patients with hypothyroidism or with positive AbTg or AbTPO was significantly higher; a thyroid hypoechoic pattern was more frequent. The prevalence of thyroid nodules was not significantly different between the two groups. Two cases of papillary thyroid cancer were observed in S patients without (67)Ga thyroid uptake, whilst no case in those with (67)Ga thyroid uptake.
Conclusions:
(67)Ga thyroid uptake is associated with the presence of aggressive autoimmune thyroiditis and hypothyroidism in S patients; thyroid function and ultrasonography should be performed in the presence of (67)Ga thyroid uptake.
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