Comparison of Thyroid Uptake, in Standard Thyroid Imaging Using [99mTc]pertechnetate, on a New Camera System Used in a Department Compared to the Previously Used System
Objective: To compare and validate the results of thyroid uptake, in standard thyroid imaging using [99mTc]pertechnetate, on a new camera system in the department compared to an old system that had been removed. (Comparison was not possible before removal). First impressions were that the new system was giving lower results compared to the old system, so it was important that the relationship between the systems was investigated.
Method: Archived scans performed on the old system were transferred and processed using the new system. Each scan was processed twice. Using PACS, it was possible to see the regions drawn on the initial scan and these were replicated as closely as possible when reprocessing. The scans analysed were initially chosen randomly but the doctors were more concerned about the higher % uptake scans so some extra scans above the normal range (> 4.2%) were chosen. 22 scans in total were analysed.
Results: The results were plotted on a graph to show the relationship between the data. Nearly all of the scans processed on the new system were lower than the result on the previous system but were comparable. The largest difference in thyroid uptake was 1.4 (% uptake). This was a 5% difference when compared to the initial scan.
Conclusions: The majority of the scans processed on the new system were of a lower value than the initial scan but the difference was not significant. The results were comparable from the old system to the new.