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A parathyroid scan is a noninvasive medical screening used to evaluate patients for thyroid cancer. It involves an injection of radioactive contrast material and a series of images to highlight the overactive gland. The results are used to prepare a patient for surgery or other treatment options. Pregnant women should avoid the scan unless it is critically important, and nursing mothers may be advised to avoid breastfeeding for a short time after testing. The scan is not the only diagnostic test used, and patient history and concerns are evaluated when developing a treatment plan.
A parathyroid scan is a type of noninvasive medical screening used to evaluate patients for thyroid cancer. It is ordered when symptoms and diagnostic tests such as blood tests suggest that a patient has at least one underactive thyroid gland. The scan will highlight the overactive gland, allowing the doctor to determine if a patient has thyroid cancer. This can be used to prepare a patient for surgery or other treatment options.
This test is an outpatient medical procedure, unless a patient is already hospitalized for a different condition. The patient will need to change into a hospital gown in most facilities. An injection of radioactive contrast material will be given and allowed to circulate for approximately 10 minutes before taking a series of images. A second series is done after a waiting period to see how the contrast spreads through the body. The scans are read and the patient is provided with information about the results.
Patients preparing for a parathyroid scan should set aside several hours of the day to make sure there is time for all the steps, along with waiting in the hospital or nuclear medicine clinic. The contrast medium is safe and will naturally wash off over time. Patients who have recently had a nuclear scan for something else may have to wait until the old contrast material is completely gone. Due to radiation concerns, pregnant women should avoid a parathyroid scan unless it is critically important, and nursing mothers may be advised to avoid breastfeeding for a short time after testing, expressing maternal and discard it to make sure the radioactive tracer is completely gone.
Several test results can be obtained with a parathyroid scan. A negative or normal result does not show excessive activity in the thyroid glands, indicating that they are all functioning normally. A positive shows enlargement and overactivity in one or more glands, indicative of a cancer. Ambiguous or unclear results are also possible, for a variety of reasons such as problems with the imaging equipment or patient movement during the scan.
Doctors don’t rely solely on a parathyroid scan to determine how to proceed with a patient’s case. Other diagnostic tests are considered and the situation is discussed with the patient. Patient history and specific concerns are evaluated when developing a treatment plan if a problem is identified and patients are presented with as many options as possible so they can take an active role in their medical treatment.
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