Asia Oceania Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Biology

Asia Oceania Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Biology

False positive finding on whole-body iodine-131 scan secondary to contaminated face mask: an uncommon peril in current COVID pandemic

Document Type : Case report

Authors
Anupriya Anwariya
Piyush Aggarwal
Ashwani Sood
Nitheesh Tigapuram
Sarika Prashar
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
10.22038/aojnmb.2022.63815.1449
Abstract
Covid-19 has changed the practice of present-day medicine. Social-distancing, hand-sanitation and use of face-mask are important measures taken against its spread. Post-thyroidectomy whole-body diagnostic I-131 scan is an important preliminary investigation for risk stratification and further management in thyroid cancer. False positive findings on diagnostic scan are not uncommon and must be evaluated to avoid unnecessary work-up and treatment. Clinical and biochemical correlation with adjunct SPCET/CT imaging may differentiate true from false-positive lesions. We report a case of unusual false positive linear neck tracer on whole-body diagnostic I-131 scan due to the use of an I-131 contaminated face mask.
Keywords
COVID-19
Iodine-131
Whole Body Imaging
Masks
Thyroid cancer
Subjects
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Asia Oceania Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Biology
Volume 11, Issue 1
January 2023
Pages 82-84

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PN1-1449.pdf