Endocrine Implications of Thyroid Incidentalomas Detected During Lymphoma Staging With 18F‐Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography
Authors' conclusion
Thyroid incidentalomas are frequent during lymphoma staging by FDG-PET/CT and should be appropriately evaluated. Focal uptake carries a relevant malignancy risk, even in nodules with low SUVmax. Diffuse uptake often reflects autoimmune thyroiditis. A multimodal diagnostic approach is essential to guide management and avoid unnecessary delays in cancer care.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with lymphoma undergoing FDG-PET/CT staging at a tertiary oncology centre
- Participants
- 795 adults
- Outcome
- Prevalence, characteristics and endocrine implications of thyroid incidentalomas
Methodological detailssingle tertiary oncology centre
- Single tertiary oncology centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Thyroid incidentalomas on FDG-PET/CT
- Thyroid abnormalities
- 139 patients (17.5%)
- Focal FDG uptake
- 33 patients (4.2%)
- Malignancy rate with focal uptake
- 18.2%
- Malignancy rate with focal uptake among those with fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC)
- 28.6%
- Diffuse uptake
- 20 patients (2.5%)
- Positive thyroid autoantibodies with diffuse uptake (significant association)
- 58.3%, p < 0.01
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Predictors of thyroid uptake
- ROC optimal age threshold, females
- 68.6 years
- ROC optimal age threshold, males
- 59.8 years
- AUC
- 0.72
- Older age and female gender were independent predictors of thyroid uptake
Predictors of malignancy
- Volume on CT inversely associated with malignancy
- ρ = −0.50, p = 0.046
- SUVmax, Hounsfield units and ACR TI-RADS not significantly associated with malignancy
- All malignant cases in TI-RADS 4 or 5 nodules
Overall survival
- No significant impact on overall survival
Original publication
Endocrine Implications of Thyroid Incidentalomas Detected During Lymphoma Staging With 18F‐Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). Published 25 June 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →