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What is the purpose of the Thyroid Scan?
The Thyroid Scan serves two purposes. It will check the size
of your gland, and it will check to see how well your
gland is working. The Thyroid Scan must be performed
over a period of two days
in order to make these two measurements.
What happens when I arrive in the Nuclear Medicine Department?
When you arrive in the Nuclear Medicine Department, a Nuclear
Medicine Technologist will explain to you their Thyroid Scan procedure.
He/she will probably ask you several questions with regards
to the history of your health. This is important to know as some procedures
and
medications will interfere with the results of the Thyroid
Scan.
Every department will perform the following steps in a different
fashion. In many cases, on the first day, you will be given either
a capsule or a
drink with a small amount of a radioactive iodine that will
be taken up by your thyroid gland. You will be asked to come back 24
hours later.
In some cases, you may be asked to come back six hours later.
What happens on the second day?
On the second day, the Technologist will bring you into a
room where a unit will be placed over your neck, and a measurement
will be made of
the amount of radioactive iodine that has been taken up by
your thyroid gland. This procedure is called a Thyroid Uptake and will
take about
ten minutes.
Am I finished after the Thyroid Uptake?
NO.
After the Uptake Study, you will then be given an injection
in your arm of another radioactive material which will again be taken
up by your
thyroid gland. After a period of at least 20 minutes, you
will then be taken into a room and asked to lie down on a bed. A machine
called a
Gamma camera will be positioned over your neck which will
take several pictures of your thyroid gland. This will take 30-40 minutes.
When
these pictures are finished, the Nuclear Medicine Physician
may want to examine your neck.
Is there any preparation for the Thyroid Scan?
YES!
Check with the department for their specific preparations.
If you are on any kind of thyroid medication, you may
be asked to stop taking them
for several weeks prior to having your Thyroid Scan performed.
The night before the test, some departments ask that
you fast for 12-24 hours.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU CHECK WITH THE DEPARTMENT FOR
THEIR RECOMMENDED PREPARATIONS
BEFORE THE TEST.
How safe is the Thyroid Scan?
Any diagnostic procedure may have some risks, and you
should consult your physician regarding the risks and benefits of
this procedure.
Technetium and the small amount of iodine ingested causes
minimal side effects, and allergic reactions are rare.
The test and material are used
routinely worldwide under physician supervision.
When will I get my results?
The Nuclear Medicine Physician will dictate a report
on the results of your test. The report will be sent
to your referring doctor.
You should
make an appointment with your referring doctor who
will discuss with you the results of your Thyroid Scan.
Please note that this information is provided for
educational purposes only. It is not intended to substitute for informed
medical advice. The user of this site should not use this information
to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with
a qualified health care provider.
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