What actually happens when a patient undergoes a recombinant TSH scan?

In order to be effective, recombinant TSH must be administered according to a schedule over the course of two or three days. No special preparation is required for the injections, though the procedure should be performed by qualified personnel. On each day, a packaged dose of recombinant TSH is mixed with sterile water, drawn up in a syringe, and injected into the muscle in one of the buttocks. There are relatively few side effects associated with recombinant TSH, though some patients may experience transient headaches or nausea.

Each dose should follow the previous one by about 24 hours. After the final dose is given, a blood test may be performed to measure the level of TSH in order to see if it is high enough to perform a radioactive iodine scan. On the day after the last injection, the patient is given a tracer dose of radioactive iodine. The day after that, a whole-body scan is performed according to the usual procedure.

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