123
Iodine
Welcome! Please click on radioactive icons to view more information. Enjoy!
Melissa Kuhlman
Nuclear Medicine 331
Fundamental Concepts
ePortfolio Project
THYROID SCAN AND UPTAKE
The radioactive iodine uptake test (RAIU) is also known as a thyroid uptake. It is a measurement of thyroid function, but does not involve imaging.
I-123 is the usual isotope used to take pictures and determine the activity of the thyroid gland.
WHOLE BODY SCAN
Whole-body thyroid scan is typically performed on people who have or had thyroid cancer.
Iodine-123 has been suggested as an
alternate radiopharmaceutical to perform whole-body scans since its primary emissions are photons with minimal radiation and it does not cause thyroid stunning and cell injury, like 131-Iodine.
THYROID AWARENESS
Iodine, in the form of iodide, is made into two radioactive isotopes that are commonly used in patients with thyroid diseases: I-123 is harmless to thyroid cells and and I-131, which destroys thyroid cells. The radiation emitted by iodine can be detected from outside the body to gain valuable information about a patients thyroid function. Pictures are taken to determine the size and location of thyroid tissues. Radioactive Iodide is also safe to use in individuals who have had allergic reactions to seafood or X-ray contrast agents. RAI is given by mouth in the form of pill or liquid form.
