Harms CA, Hoskinson JJ, Bruyette DS, et al.
Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound 1994;35:473-478.
Thyroid scintigraphy using sodium 99mTechnetium pertechnetate (99TcO4-) was performed in normal and radiothyroidectomized cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus). 131I scintigraphy was performed in the course of ablating the thyroid glands. The thyroid glands in normal birds were clearly visualized, but were not individually resolvable. Thyroid glands were not visualized in thyroid-ablated birds. With 99mTcO4 scans, thyroid (or other region of interest)/body count density ratios were used for comparisons of normal and thyroid-ablated birds. Normal 99mTcO4- thyroid/body ratios (mean +/2212 SD) for the dorsal and lateral views were 1.83 +/2212 0.31 and 1.70 +/2212 0.34 respectively. Pertechnetate thyroid/body count density ratios decreased (to 0.93 -/22120.14 and 0.88 +/2212 0.12 for dorsal and lateral views respectively) after thyroid ablation, while crop/body ratios increased. 99mTcO4- thyroid scintigraphy, therefore, was capable of detecting hypofunctional thyroid abnormalities in 131I radiothyroidectomized cockatiels.