Thyroid scintigraphy with time-coded aperture.

Coded aperture imaging (CAI) and multiple-view pinhole imaging (MVPI) of the thyroid were compared in 19 patients to determine whether CAI's theoretical advantages of high resolution, high efficiency, freedom from distortion, accurate size representation, and tomographic presentation could be realized in the clinical setting, and to determine whether CAI offers any advantage over conventional MVPI. The coded aperture images were judged better than the pinhole images in five cases, equal in 13 cases, and worse in one case. The major problem with CAI was the long reconstruction time. Further development and an extended clinical trial appear warranted.