Thyrotoxicosis due to functioning metastatic follicular thyroid carcinoma after twelve I-131 therapies

Clin Nucl Med. 2009 Sep;34(9):615-9. doi: 10.1097/RLU.0b013e3181b06b2d.

Abstract

We present a case of functioning metastatic follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) causing severe thyrotoxicosis despite four years 12 iodine-131 therapies (1.461 Ci cumulatively). Initially, the patient had ostalgia and fracture in the right femur. Surgery-confirmed metastatic bone FTC and thyroidectomy-confirmed FTC. One month later, iodine-131 treatment commenced. During the follow-up, different metastatic sites showed different outcomes. Lung metastases disappeared, a thigh metastasis persisted, a new metastasis in the head occurred and pelvic metastases deteriorated into a huge mass elevating thyroglobulin and causing thyrotoxicosis within 3 months. Presurgical PET/CT also demonstrated the massiveness of the pelvic metastases. Thyrotoxicosis disappeared after surgical removal of the pelvic lesion.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Iodine Radioisotopes / therapeutic use*
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Thyrotoxicosis / etiology*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Iodine Radioisotopes