Detection of Achalasia on Thyroid Scintigraphy and MRI

Abstract

Although mediastinal tracer accumulation on thyroid scintigraphy is usually characteristic for a retrosternal goiter, areas of specific (eg, teratoma) or nonspecific uptake (inflammatory and/or tumorous masses) have to be taken into consideration. Moreover, it has also been sporadically reported that achalasia may present with increased mediastinal tracer accumulation. The pathomechanism of this uptake is, however, not yet fully understood. We report the case of a 28-year-old female medicinal student in whom a thyroid nodule was incidentally detected by ultrasound during a student teaching session and who therefore underwent thyroid scintigraphy.