Radioactive iodine
An isotope of the chemical element iodine that is radioactive. Radioactive iodine is used in diagnostic tests as well as in radiotherapy of an hyperactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism), most often due to Graves’ disease.
For hyperthyroidism, Radioactive iodine is administered in capsule form on a one- time basis. It directly radiates thyroid tissues, thereby destroying them. It takes 8-12 weeks for the thyroid to become euthyroid (normal) after treatment.
The majority of patients undergoing this treatment with radioactive iodine eventually become hypothyroid, which is easily treated using thyroid hormones (levothyroxine).
Radioactive iodine should not be used during pregnancy or breast feeding.
Radioactive iodine is the preferred initial therapy for the hyperthyroidism of Graves disease in North America while antithyroid drugs are used as the first line of treatment in most of the rest of the world. Radioactive iodine is also known as radioiodine.
Read Also:
- Radioactive tracer
A radioactive molecule that can be sent through the body’s circulatory or urinary system, with its progress followed by a radiation-sensitive machine.
- Radioallergosorbent test
An allergy test done on a sample of blood. The test is used to check for allergic sensitivity to specific substances. In the test, the sample of blood is mixed with substances known to trigger allergies. The test measures the level of allergy antibodies (specific IgE antibodies) in the blood which are present if there […]
- Radiofrequency ablation
The use of electrodes to generate heat and destroy abnormal tissue. In radiofrequency ablation (RFA), heat is generated locally by a high frequency, alternating current that flows from the electrodes. A probe is inserted into the center of the tumor and the non-insulated electrodes, which are shaped like prongs, are projected into the tumor. The […]
- Radiograph
In medicine, an X-ray or a film produced through X-ray.
- Radiography
The process of obtaining film records (radiographs) of internal structures of the body. Radiography is made possible by X-rays passing through the body to act on a specially sensitized film.