Portable feline thyroid scintigraphy debuts in Greece

Portable thyroid scintigraphy has entered feline practice in Greece, where a hybrid gamma-optical camera called Seracam was used at a feline endocrine clinic in Athens to image eight cats with known or suspected hyperthyroidism. The cases were presented at the Hellenic Companion Animal Veterinary Society’s 15th Forum, held May 15–17, 2026, in Chalkidiki. According to dvm360 and a company news release, the system overlays functional gamma imaging with a real-time optical image, allowing anatomical localization at the point of care rather than in a dedicated nuclear medicine department. The imaging was performed by Sossanna Bourmpou, DVM, founder of the Feline Hyperthyroidism Treatment Centre in Athens, and Serac Imaging Systems said this was the first reported veterinary use of the device in Greece. (dvm360.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the development is less about a new gadget and more about access. Thyroid scintigraphy can help confirm difficult or borderline hyperthyroidism cases, identify ectopic thyroid tissue, and support more individualized I-131 planning, but nuclear medicine imaging has historically been limited by cost, regulation, and the need for fixed equipment. Portable systems could make functional imaging more feasible in specialty settings that already manage feline hyperthyroidism, especially when treatment decisions still rely partly on empirical dosing. That said, the evidence here is early and limited to eight cats, with details coming primarily from a conference presentation and company-linked reporting rather than a peer-reviewed clinical trial. (dvm360.com)

What to watch: Watch for peer-reviewed clinical data on diagnostic accuracy, workflow, radiation safety, and whether portable scintigraphy meaningfully improves I-131 dose selection or outcomes beyond established protocols. (link.springer.com)