Preoperative scintigraphic detection of cervical metastases from thyroid carcinoma with technetium-99m pertechnetate

A young man with papillary-follicular thyroid carcinoma demonstrated clear visualization of cervical metastases from thyroid cancer on Tc-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy while exhibiting a palpably and scintigraphically normal thyroid gland. This is a very rare occurrence which demonstrates that Tc-99m pertechnetate scintigraphy is capable of detecting cervical metastases from thyroid carcinoma before the appearance of palpable thyroid nodules or defects on scintigraphy.