Thyroid ECT is an important tool to confirm the diagnosis of malignant diseases such as thyroid cancer. The procedure involves the oral administration of a radioactive agent that is metabolized at different rates in normal and malignant tissues of the thyroid. The radioactive substance is then scanned by CT to obtain images. The final diagnosis and assessment of hypermetabolic thyroid disease is made.
ECT (EmissionComputedTomography) is called an emission computed tomography scanner. The basic principle is that a radionuclide is injected or orally administered into the body, and this radionuclide is metabolized by the organ. CT scans can detect the amount of radionuclide inside and outside the organ or between the lesion and normal tissue, and this contrast difference is used to assess the functional status of the organ. It can also provide a variety of parameters, such as time-radiation curves, which provide an important basis for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The main diseases in this category are thyroid cancer and bone tumors. Malignant diseases such as thyroid cancer have a higher metabolic rate than normal tissue and can be screened for malignant lesions such as thyroid cancer after an ECT scan.
The practice of thyroid ECT is to take technetium (a radioactive substance with minimal radioactive damage) orally in the morning on an empty stomach, and after metabolism by thyroid uptake, the patient lies on the CT for a thyroid scan to assess the metabolism of the area by the metabolism level of technetium in different parts of the thyroid. Generally speaking areas with high metabolic rate are mostly considered as nauseous lesions, and the next step requires further improvement of tests such as puncture biopsy.