----- Original Message -----
From: "Anna Carter" <[log in to unmask]>



> My sister went for a scan of her thyroid and it wouldn't take up any
of the
> material.  Only showed a thyroid about the size of a pea.

If the scan done was the radionuclide type (Iodine or Technetium) the
gland would show up only in proportion to the absorbed radioactive
substance. In the case of technetium, the salivary gland absorbs some of
the radioinuclide as well and it shows up.  The reason being, the camera
is sensitive only to radioactive emissions and not the visible nor
magnetic spectrum.

A non-functioning gland doesn't appear in textbooks -- it does on film
(minimally or not at all) for same reasons above.

Hope this helps

Greg




_______________________________________________________________

   Control Your Self-Serve Thyroid Account Here
Rules - mailto:[log in to unmask]
NoMail - mailto:[log in to unmask]
Mail - mailto:[log in to unmask]
Not DAILY DIGEST - mailto:[log in to unmask]
DAILY DIGEST - mailto:[log in to unmask]
Stop Attachments - mailto:[log in to unmask]
Force Attachments - mailto:[log in to unmask]
Force Subject: [THYROID] - mailto:[log in to unmask]
Subscribe - http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?SUBED1=thyroid
Unsubscribe - mailto:[log in to unmask]
Our Home Page - http://www.Emissary.Net/thyroid/index.html
Thyroid Archives - http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/thyroid.html
Contact List Owners - mailto:[log in to unmask]
_______________________________________________________________