[The correlation between serum thyroglobulin and iodine-131 scanning in detecting metastases in patients with a...

One-hundred seventy-one patients, operated for differentiated thyroid gland carcinoma, are subjected to serum thyroglobulin assessment and whole-body scanning. In twenty-nine of the total of 171 patients there is evidence of relapses and metastases, discovered by either examination. In 27/29 cases with metastases (positive scan finding) a high serum thyroglobulin level is documented. The correlation between serum thyroglobulin level and whole-body scanning finding among patients without residual normal thyroid parenchyma (status post total thyroidectomy) is much more favourable than the one in patients presenting normal residual parenchyma (status post organ-salvaging operation). The conclusion is drawn that serum thyroglobulin contributes greatly to the diagnosis of recurrences and metastases, especially in patients with normal residual parenchyma missing.