Endocrinol Metab.  2011 Dec;26(4):345-347. 10.3803/EnM.2011.26.4.345.

Hyperprolactinemia-Associated Breast Uptake of Radioiodine Following 131I Postablation Scan in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

• Ahn JH
• Kim SY
• Kim YJ
• Lee SY
• Lee JH
• Kang SH
• Hong HC
• Yang SJ
• Yoo HJ
• Seo JA
• Kim SG
• Kim NH
• Choi KM
• Baik SH
• Choi DS
• Choi HY

• KMID: 2169267
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2011.26.4.345

Abstract

Scanning with whole-body 131I scintigraphy after surgery has been a valuable diagnostic modality in the surveillance of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer. Radioiodine uptake is rarely observed in non-lactating breast tissue, which mimics thyroid cancer metastasis. We now report a case of a 45-year-old female thyroid cancer patient who underwent radioiodine therapy, and in whom breast uptake of radioiodine was observed on a post-therapy whole body scan. Her serum prolactin level was elevated to 328 ng/mL at the time of the radioiodine uptake, and the hyperprolactinemia was induced by her antipsychotic medications. Six months after she discontinued that medication, her serum prolactin level was normalized to 12.6 ng/mL and breast uptake of iodine was no longer present in a follow-up whole body scan.

Keyword

Antipsychotic agents; Differentiated thyroid cancer; Hyperprolactinemia

MeSH Terms

Antipsychotic Agents
Breast
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Hyperprolactinemia
Iodine
Middle Aged
Neoplasm Metastasis
Prolactin
Thyroid Gland
Thyroid Neoplasms
Whole Body Imaging
Antipsychotic Agents
Iodine
Prolactin

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. Positron emission tomog-raphy-computed tomography performed 5 months after total thyroid-ectomy. There was no evidence of tu-mor recurrence or metastasis.

• 

  Fig. 2. 131 I whole body scan. A. 131 I whole body scan performed 72 hours after an radioiodine ablation (RIA) (150 mCi). There were multiple sites of iodine uptake in functioning thyroid tissue or regional lymph nodes in the thyroid area. Diffuse mild breast uptake was observed in scanned images. B. 131 I whole body scan performed 6 months after the RIA (150 mCi). There was no longer iodine uptake in either breast.

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