# RAIU scan



## Ophelia (Oct 29, 2012)

I only overheard the lab techs talking about whether there might have mistake so I know my lab results are interesting --1.6 at 4 hr and 0.4% at 24 hr. I don't know how the rest of the scan went except the student lab tech kept saying she couldn't see anything on the scan. I think this confirms subacute thyroiditis, but I'll probably have an ultrasound to check some nodules too. We did more labs today to see if the numbers have peaked yet. This is my 4th blood draw in a week and I think I'm going to start looking like a junkie with track marks soon.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Generally speaking, the RAIU should give you more info than the u/s re: nodules...just so you know


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## Ophelia (Oct 29, 2012)

joplin1975 said:


> Generally speaking, the RAIU should give you more info than the u/s re: nodules...just so you know


I think that my endocrinologist said that when the iodine uptake is so low, even the thyroid wont be visible, unless maybe there's a hot nodule.... But a cold one won't show any difference from the rest of the non functioning thyroid. I could be wrong though. I'll update when I have answers.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Ophelia said:


> I think that my endocrinologist said that when the iodine uptake is so low, even the thyroid wont be visible, unless maybe there's a hot nodule.... But a cold one won't show any difference from the rest of the non functioning thyroid. I could be wrong though. I'll update when I have answers.


Hope to hear from you soon re the results.

This may be of interest.

Low RAIU uptake and cancer
http://journals.lww.com/nuclearmed/...cosis_Caused_by_Functioning_Metastatic.1.aspx

You need to know this because even some doctors are not aware of this. They think you are good to go when uptake is low.


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## angel1976 (Nov 15, 2011)

Did they use iodine or technetium for scan?
The subacute thyroidis is diagnosed by elevated ESR as well.


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## Ophelia (Oct 29, 2012)

It was iodine, whatever is typical for scans. I'm going to try to get ahold of pictures and radiologist report, because all I know is what the radiology techs said.


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## Ophelia (Oct 29, 2012)

I got the report back from the radiologist and it wasn't particularly useful other than clarifying my problems are definitely not graves related. The scan looked like "snow" on the TV. No shapes were visible.


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