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MR and CT Imaging of Thyroid Cancer

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Thyroid Cancer

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Abstract

Radiologic imaging is often not necessary for the preoperative staging of early thyroid carcinoma. However, with locally advanced disease, MRI and CT may be necessary to assess invasion of adjacent structures such as the esophagus, trachea, and neurovascular structures. Postoperative imaging of thyroid carcinoma is guided by the results of radioactive iodine metastatic disease for those patients with papillary and follicular carcinoma. With complete thyroidectomy and negative metastatic thyroid survey, imaging may not be necessary. For those patients with tumors that have non-avid iodine uptake and for those patients with medullary and anaplastic thyroid cancer, PET/CT is the modality of choice. For patients with metastatic disease, advanced imaging is required. Non-contrast CT is best for evaluating pulmonary nodules.

MRI is often best for identifying metastatic disease to the brain, upper neck, spine, liver, and skeletal structures.

New ablative technologies of cryoablation and RF ablation are available to treat metastatic thyroid carcinoma.

Interdisciplinary approach between endocrinologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and radiologists is essential to the diagnosis, staging, and treatment of advanced thyroid carcinoma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, USA

    James Jelinek MD, FACR (Director)

  2. Department of Radiology, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, USA

    Richard Young MD & Louis O. Smith III MD

  3. Divisions of Endocrinology, Washington Hospital Center and Georgetown University Hospital, 110 Irving Street NW 2A-72, Washington, DC, 20010, USA

    Kenneth D. Burman MD (Director)

Authors
  1. James Jelinek MD, FACR
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  2. Richard Young MD
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  3. Louis O. Smith III MD
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  4. Kenneth D. Burman MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kenneth D. Burman MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, MedStar Washington Hospital Center Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA

    Leonard Wartofsky

  2. Nuclear Medicine Research MedStar Research Institute and Washington Hospital Center, Georgetown University School of Medicine Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, USA

    Douglas Van Nostrand

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Jelinek, J., Young, R., Smith, L.O., Burman, K.D. (2016). MR and CT Imaging of Thyroid Cancer. In: Wartofsky, L., Van Nostrand, D. (eds) Thyroid Cancer. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3314-3_45

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3314-3_45

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-3312-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-3314-3

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