Recombinant human TSH increases uptake and effective half-life of radioiodine in thyroid hormone secreting metastases of follicular thyroid cancer.

Follicular thyroid cancer with thyroid hormone secreting metastases is an extremely rare condition, with only a few cases reported world-wide. We here present the case of a 64-year-old female patient affected by follicular thyroid cancer with extensive thyroid hormone secreting metastases leading to TSH-suppression. We have also summarized the relevant diagnostic and therapeutic approaches and describe, for the first time, the effects of rhTSH-application in this rare tumor entity. In this patient, we found that rhTSH increased ¹³¹I-uptake into the thyroid hormone secreting metastases and prolonged the effective half-life of ¹³¹I. These effects of rhTSH should be considered when fixed activities of ¹³¹I are prescribed.
(© J. A. Barth Verlag in Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)