The common sites of distant metastases in thyroid cancer and application of imaging examinations
WANG Zhi-hong
ZHANG Hao
Abstract：Metastatic Thyroid cancer can occur in various tissues or organs throughout the body,with lung and bone metastases being the most common,followed by liver and brain metastases.Due to the different imaging manifestations of distant metastases in different sites,misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis can quickly occur.Therefore,understanding the common sites of metastatic thyroid cancer and their imaging characteristics is particularly important.Ultrasound is a commonly used method for assessing thyroid nodules and cervical lymph nodes,but its sensitivity in detecting distant metastases is limited.In contrast,Computed Tomography(CT),Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI),Whole Body Radioiodine Scan(WBS),and positron emission tomography/computed tomography(PET-CT)show higher sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing distant metastases.For lung metastases,CT is widely used due to its high spatial resolution.WBS is crucial for assessing the affinity of metastatic lesions to radioactive iodine,while PET-CT can provide information on tumor metabolic activity,which helps assess biological behavior.In terms of bone metastases,MRI has advantages in detecting bone metastases due to its high resolution and three-dimensional anatomical information.PET-CT combined with specific bone radiotracers has higher sensitivity in detecting osteoblastic lesions.MRI perfusion techniques help in the early detection of spinal metastases.Liver metastases are relatively rare in thyroid cancer but have a higher incidence in medullary thyroid cancer patients.Contrast-enhanced ultrasound can improve diagnostic accuracy,and MRI is valuable for detecting liver metastases in thyroid cancer.Brain metastases are extremely rare in thyroid cancer and are mainly seen in anaplastic thyroid cancer patients.MRI,with high sensitivity and specificity,is the preferred imaging method for assessing brain metastases.Additionally,metastatic thyroid cancer includes rare sites such as the kidney,heart,and skin,and imaging methods can assist in diagnosis.
Keywords：thyroid cancerdistant metastasesmetastatic siteimaging examinations
Publication Date：2024-06-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：10( 648-657 )