Incidental Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Detected by Ga-68 DOTATATE PET/CT: A Rare Case Study and Clinical Considerations

In this study, we present in detail a case of a thyroid nodule presenting with gastric neuroendocrine tumor (NET), which was incidentaly detected during a Gallium-68 (Ga-68) DOTATATE positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scan for staging and subsequently identified as papillary thyroid carcinoma on pathological examination. This rare case demonstrates that DOTATATE uptake can occur not only in NETs but also in thyroid cancers. This study emphasizes the importance of Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNA), especially in incidental thyroid nodules. It also highlights the place of Ga-68 DOTATATE PET/CT in clinical practice and the importance of further research in this field.

Keywords

Papillary thyroid carcinoma, Ga-68 DOTATATE PET/CT, FNA

Publication History

Received: 12 December 2023

Accepted: 03 January 2024

Article published online:
23 January 2024

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