Thyroid Scan: Its Importance As A Thyroid Problem Diagnosis Tool

What is a thyroid scan and how is it conducted? Is it really an important tool in diagnosis a thyroid problem? Learn about the answer to these questions.

Sometimes you do not submit yourselves to a series of tests for a variety of reasons. First, you are afraid that the process is too complicated. Second, you are not sure if there are risks involved in the procedure. Another reason might be the fact that you are in doubt whether it could be of help for the disorder. Well, what about thyroid scan? Is it helpful in diagnosing a thyroid disorder?

A thyroid scan is a simple procedure which may be conducted in your doctor’s clinic or in the hospital. Though it may be undertaken through the hospital, there is no reason to fear. This is an outpatient procedure, which means you may get up and go home soon as the process is through.

Thyroid scan procedure

The thyroid scan procedure is reiterated to be a simple procedure. As a patient, all you need to do is to take a drink or a pill containing the essential component of the process – iodine. After about 4 hours of drinking the pill, the iodine works to the thyroid glands and becomes helpful in detecting any disease in the area. Through the aid of a scintography camera, pictures of the thyroid will be taken. After such, you may go home and return within 24 hours for another procedure of the same technique.

There are things you need to consider between the two thyroid scans performed – that is, within the 24-hour interval. You have to take note of the following:

• Urination. The iodine you have taken up during the first thyroid scan may be eliminated in the body through the urine. With this being so, you need to take precautions with urinating including that of disallowing others to have contact with your urine.
• Allergy and food intake. Inform your doctor whether you have certain allergies to iodine or if you ate foods rich in iodine.

Importance of thyroid scan

The significance of conducting a thyroid scan goes in consonance with the fact of when it should be undertaken by the patient. It is used to detect underactivity and overactivity of the thyroid gland. It also shows the size and shape of the gland at the moment. Apart from these facts, the following things make thyroid scan important:

•    Hyperthyroidism. This disease known as overactivity of the thyroid glands is detected through a thyroid scan. Since the procedure is inhibited in order to determine the number of hormones produced in the thyroid gland, hyperthyroidism will be easily detected.
•    Thyroiditis. Apart from detecting activity of the thyroid glands, thyroiditis or inflammation in the thyroid is also detected by the thyroid scan.
•    Thyroid nodules. Thyroid scan goes hand-in-hand with fine needle aspiration biopsy especially if the latter failed to establish the presence of thyroid nodules in the gland.

The importance of thyroid scan extends up to the fact that it may help determine the presence of thyroid cancer. It also aids in distinguishing whether the cancer had spread in the entire body or not. As a full body scan is performed, you will be able to know about your thyroid disorder.

Tags: hyperthyroidism, iodine, thyroid cancer, thyroid nodules, thyroid problem diagnosis, thyroid scan, thyroiditis

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