Somatostatin receptor expression in the thyroid demonstrated with 111In-octreotide scintigraphy

Neuroendocrine tumors with somatostatin receptor expression may be localized by 111In-octreotide scintigraphy. This study examines those thyroid conditions where 111In-octreotide uptake could be observed also in the thyroid gland. 26 consecutive patients who underwent 111In-octreotide scintigraphy for tumor localization were additionally examined for thyroid disease by sonography and 99mTc-pertechnetate scintigraphy. 12 of these patients had no significant thyroid uptake and had an euthyroid normal-sized thyroid gland 14 patients with 111In thyroid uptakes had endemic goiters, two of them with thyroid autonomy and one with Graves' disease. Thus, 111In-octreotide thyroid uptake was predominantly seen in patients with endemic goiter with or without thyroid autonomy.