Thyroid Scan and Thyroid Disorders in Adolescent: 5-year Experience

Thyroid gland enlargement is a common problem in clinical practice. The clinical presentation and etiology of thyroid disorders differ substantially in adolescents from that in adults. Purpose: This study was conducted to describe clinical characteristics of adolescent patients referred for thyroid scan during 5-years period in Mansoura University Hospital. Methods: this retrospective study included all adolescent patients referred for thyroid scan during the period from 2010-2015 in nuclear medicine unit in Mansoura University Hospital. Full history was taken from each patient including family history. Both general and local examinations were performed. Thyroid scan was carried out through intravenous injection of 3-5mCi of technetium-99 pertechnetate. Then 20 minutes post injection; anterior and oblique views were acquired on a gamma camera. Many features of thyroid scan can be found and final diagnosis based on scanning features and laboratory results. Results: This retrospective study included 60 adolescent patients referred for thyroid scan. They were 46 (76.7%) females and 14males (23.3%) with female to male ratio of 3.3:1 Simple multinodular goitre was the most common finding (46.7%) followed by Graves’disease (25%) then Hashimoto's disease (11.7%). Ectopic thyroid was reported in 2 female patients (3.3%) Solitary thyroid nodule was found in 6 patients (10%) with toxic finding in one case and simple in five. Papillary thyroid carcinoma was diagnosed in 2 female patients (3.3%). Conclusion: This study is retrospective with relatively small number of patients; so these preliminary results need to be confirmed through a prospective study with larger number of patients.