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Thyroid abnormality secondary to tortuous carotid artery
European Journal of Nuclear Medicine
|January 1, 1986
Summary
A thyroid scan revealed a "cold" nodule, but further imaging showed a tortuous carotid artery. This case highlights the importance of correlating imaging findings to avoid misinterpreting vascular anatomy as thyroid disease.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear medicine
- Radiology
- Vascular anatomy
Background:
- A 59-year-old male presented with neck thickening and an impalpable thyroid gland.
- History of head and neck irradiation for acne.
- Initial diagnostic workup included a radioiodine thyroid scan.
Observation:
- The iodine-123 thyroid scan indicated a "cold" nodule in the right thyroid lobe's lower pole.
- Thyroid ultrasound initially revealed no thyroid abnormalities.
- A subsequent ultrasound identified a tortuous carotid artery adjacent to the thyroid.
Findings:
- The "cold" defect on the thyroid scan corresponded to the aberrant carotid artery.
- The vascular anomaly mimicked a thyroid nodule on nuclear imaging.
- Ultrasound was crucial in differentiating the vascular structure from a true thyroid lesion.
Implications:
- This case underscores the potential for vascular structures to be mistaken for thyroid nodules.
- Accurate interpretation requires correlation between nuclear medicine scans and high-resolution ultrasound.
- Awareness of vascular anomalies is essential in thyroid imaging to prevent diagnostic errors.