# 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT Follow-Up in Radioiodine-Refractory Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Case Report

**Authors:** David Gutierrez Albenda, Valeria Armani Arce, Ernesto Balmaceda Araya, Akira Osawa Pivovarov, Álvaro Montoya Porras

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.102593 · Cureus · 2026-01-29

## TL;DR

This case report shows how FDG-PET/CT imaging helps monitor and guide treatment for a patient with advanced thyroid cancer that no longer responds to radioactive iodine.

## Contribution

The paper presents a real-world example of FDG-PET/CT use in managing radioiodine-refractory papillary thyroid carcinoma.

## Key findings

- FDG-PET/CT effectively tracked disease progression in a patient with radioiodine-refractory PTC.
- The imaging guided treatment decisions for advanced-stage thyroid cancer.
- Serial FDG-PET/CT scans provided valuable insights for managing refractory thyroid cancer.

## Abstract

Thyroid carcinoma is the most frequent endocrine malignancy, and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is its predominant subtype. Standard initial management includes surgical resection followed by radioactive iodine (¹³¹I) ablation. PET with fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG) combined with CT (FDG-PET/CT) has emerged as a valuable tool during follow-up, particularly in cases of radioiodine-refractory disease. We report the case of a 67-year-old man with PTC refractory to multiple ¹³¹I therapies, whose disease progression was monitored using serial FDG-PET/CT imaging. This case highlights the role of FDG-PET/CT in guiding treatment selection in advanced PTC.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** thyroid carcinoma (MONDO:0015075), papillary thyroid carcinoma (MONDO:0005075)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** SLC5A5 (solute carrier family 5 member 5) [NCBI Gene 6528] {aka NIS, TDH1}, TG (thyroglobulin) [NCBI Gene 7038] {aka AITD3, TGN}, SLC2A1 (solute carrier family 2 member 1) [NCBI Gene 6513] {aka CSE, DYT17, DYT18, DYT9, EIG12, GLUT}
- **Diseases:** papillary, follicular, and oncocytic carcinoma (MESH:D018265), PTC (MESH:D000077273), alopecia (MESH:D000505), lymphadenopathy (MESH:D008206), cervical (MESH:D002575), hemorrhoids (MESH:D006484), dedifferentiated disease (MESH:D008080), disease (MESH:D004194), anaplastic carcinoma (MESH:D002277), pulmonary lesions (MESH:D008171), plantar erythrodysesthesia (MESH:D060831), keratoconus (MESH:D007640), cancer (MESH:D009369), osseous lesions (MESH:D000070896), medullary carcinoma (MESH:D018276), Thyroid cancer (MESH:D013964), hypertension (MESH:D006973), hypermetabolic disease (MESH:C565498), bone metastases (MESH:D009362), benign prostatic hyperplasia (MESH:D011470), stomatitis (MESH:D013280), nodal (MESH:D013611), bone lesion (MESH:D001847), toxicities (MESH:D064420), endocrine malignancy (MESH:D004700)
- **Chemicals:** trametinib (MESH:C560077), Sorafenib (MESH:D000077157), esomeprazole (MESH:D064098), telmisartan (MESH:D000077333), iodine (MESH:D007455), dabrafenib (MESH:C561627), sodium iodide (MESH:D012974), glucose (MESH:D005947), 18F-FDG (-), 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (MESH:D019788), Radioiodine (MESH:C000614965)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Full text

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## Figures

3 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12949687/full.md

## References

14 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12949687/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12949687