Hypermetabolic Thyroid Incidentaloma on Positron Emission Tomography: Review of Laboratory, Radiologic, and Pathologic Characteristics

INTRODUCTION: Incidental hypermetabolic thyroid lesions on Positron Emission Tomography have significant clinical value and may harbor malignancy. In this study we evaluated laboratory, radiologic, and pathologic characteristics of incidental hypermetabolic thyroid lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated 18 patients prospectively with various malignancies and hypermetabolic thyroid incidentaloma. The thyroid function tests, ultrasound assessment, and guided FNA biopsy were performed on all cases. RESULTS: We included 9 male and 9 female patients with mean age of 51 years. Most common malignancy was colon cancer. Metabolic activity quantification using maximum standard uptake value demonstrated range between 1.4 and 65.4 with mean value of 9.4. We found highest metabolic activity in patients with lung adenocarcinoma, B-cell lymphoma, and colon adenocarcinoma. On ultrasound exam most thyroid lesions were of solid, hypoechoic, noncalcified nature with either normal or peripheral increased vascularity. FNA biopsy report was benign in 15 cases and malignant or highly suggestive for malignancy in 3 other cases. Two of the three malignant cases demonstrated metabolic activity higher than average SUV max. CONCLUSION: Most thyroid hypermetabolic incidentalomas are benign lesions, while higher values of SUV max are in favor of malignancy. This mandates further evaluation of incidentally found thyroid hypermetabolic lesions on routine PET/CT scans.