Measurement of radiation dose to the thyroid using positron emission tomography

Measurements of the functioning volume of thyroid tissue have been made in 22 patients undergoing radioiodine therapy for thyrotoxicosis, using a prototype multiwire proportional counter positron camera. Tomographic images were produced of the distribution of 124I in the thyroid. Functioning volumes were found to be in the range 21-79 cm3 with volume errors of the order of +/- 4% to +/- 14%. Radioiodine uptake varied from 28% to 98%. Using a value of 6 days for the effective half-life of radioiodine in hyperactive thyroids, radiation doses from a standard therapy administration of 75 MBq of 131I varied from 11 to 48 Gy (compared with a recommended 50-70 Gy). In five cases PET imaging showed a non-uniform distribution of radioiodine in thyroids thought to have uniform uptake from conventional pinhole scintigraphy.