Cervical Vertebral Metastasis Mimicking Thyroid Uptake on Planar 123 I-MIBG Images.
Safiya I Lahlaf, Hongming Zhuang
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
A 10-year-old girl with neuroblastoma underwent 123 I-MIBG scintigraphy. Planar images showed intense neck activity that appeared more prominent anteriorly and resembled thyroid uptake. SPECT/CT localized the tracer to the C7 vertebral body, identifying osseous metastatic disease rather than physiological thyroid accumulation.
What made this case unusual
A cervical vertebral metastasis projected on planar imaging as apparent thyroid uptake, creating a potential localization pitfall.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
When neck activity on planar 123 I-MIBG images is not clearly localized, SPECT/CT can distinguish thyroid uptake from activity arising in a cervical vertebral lesion.