Incidence of a pyramidal lobe on thyroid scans

Gamma camera pertechnetate and radioiodine thyroid scans were reviewed to determine the incidence of recognition of a pyramidal lobe. Ten to 17% of "normals" and of patients with various thyroid disease states had a pyramidal lobe on their scans. However, in patients with diffuse toxic goiter, 43% had a pyramidal lobe on the thyroid images. There appears to be a correlation between elevated thyroid function studies (likely in thyroid mass) and the incidence of a pyramidal lobe on thyroid scans in diffuse toxic goiter.