Epiphrenic diverticulum: potential pitfall in thyroid cancer iodine-131 scintigraphy.

Unusual features of iodine-131 uptake during thyroid cancer scintigraphy may lead to a false-positive diagnosis of residual or recurrent malignancy and associated metastasis. Radiographic or cross-sectional imaging correlation should help to differentiate truly functioning thyroid lesions from physiological or artifactual tracer accumulation. The authors present a case of iodine-131 mediastinal uptake from an esophageal epiphrenic diverticulum.