Nuclear medicine imaging methods in thyroid associated ophthalmopathy

: The evaluation of inflammation activity is one of the more important problems in the diagnosis of thyroid associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). It is connected with response to immunosuppresive treatment. Some of the radiolabelled tracers used in nuclear medicine are collected selectively in inflammatory foci and are also accumulated in inflammable retrobulbar tissue present in the active phase of TAO. This enables an evaluation of the inflammatory process activity and concerns especially such tracers as OctreoScan, Ga-67, Tc-99m-DTPA. This article presents a short review of current knowledge on the role of nuclear medicine methods in thyroid associated ophthalmopathy imaging.