MEDICAL PROCEDURES
Thyroid Scan
What is a thyroid scan?
A thyroid scan is an image taken of the thyroid gland after radioactive iodine is taken by mouth. The thyroid gland is in front of the neck: 
Thyroid scanning is a nuclear medicine procedure whereby the thyroid gland produces an image noted as it accumulates radioactive material (technetium or iodine).
When is thyroid scanning helpful?
Thyroid scanning is used to determine how active thyroid tissue is in manufacturing thyroid hormone. This feature can determine whether inflammation of the thyroid gland (thyroiditis) is present. It can also detect the presence and degree of overactivity of the gland (hyperthyroidism).
Thyroid scanning is especially helpful in evaluating thyroid nodules, particularly after a fine needle aspiration biopsy has failed to provide a diagnosis. A scan will reveal whether a thyroid nodule is functioning or nonfunctioning. A functioning nodule is actively taking up iodine to produce thyroid hormone and produces a localized "hot" area on the image of the thyroid gland. A nonfunctioning nodule is does not take up iodine and produces a localized "cold" area on the image of the thyroid gland.
What is significant about whether a nodule is "hot" or "cold?"
Functioning or "hot" nodules only rarely are from cancer. Nearly all thyroid cancers are nonfunctioning or "cold" nodules. Moreover, even among "cold" nodules, cancer is infrequent (less than 5 percent of cases).
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