Bone scans in bone metastases from functioning thyroid carcinoma.

Sixty percent of differentiated thyroid carcinoma bone metastases identified by local radioactive iodide uptake and radiographic changes were negative in the bone scans. Another 20% of the bony metastases showed only a minimal increased uptake of bone imaging radionuclides. It is concluded that the bone scan is not a useful tool in the work-up for metastatic thyroid cancer.