THYROID ULTRASOUND
At Atlantic Endocrinology & Diabetes Center a thyroid ultrasound may be ordered if a thyroid function test is abnormal or if your doctor feels a growth on your thyroid while examining your neck.
An ultrasound can also check an underactive or overactive thyroid gland.
WHAT IS A THYROID ULTRASOUND AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOUR THYROID HEALTH?
Ultrasound examination is the most accurate and useful imaging test to detect nodules or lumps within the thyroid gland. Ultrasound procedure uses sound waves to produce images of the thyroid gland and the images can be captured to assess the size, shape, structure and any abnormalities of the thyroid gland.
Accurate measurement of the size of the thyroid nodules can be made using ultrasound imaging. It also assists in the evaluation of the variations in the thyroid tissue such as enlargement caused by goiter and decrease in size caused by inflammation and can differentiate between the solid, fluid-filled or complex type of thyroid nodules.
WHY WOULD I NEED A THYROID ULTRASOUND?
The reasons for the administration of a Thyroid Ultrasound are to diagnose dysfunction or suspected abnormalities of the thyroid gland. It may be used to:
• Determine the existence of a goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland.
• Assess whether a lump has originated on the thyroid gland or elsewhere.
• Determine whether a detected mass is growing.
• Differentiate between cysts, filled with fluid, and solid masses.
• Help determine whether an abnormal growth may be malignant.
WHAT DOES A THYROID ULTRASOUND DETECT?
The role of ultrasound in the diagnosis of thyroid conditions is complex and involves detection of the thyroid and neck masses, distinguishing between benign and malignant nodules, and guidance during fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy and percutaneous treatment.
A Thyroid Ultrasound may be ordered if a thyroid function test is abnormal or if your doctor feels a growth on your thyroid while examining your neck. An ultrasound can also check an underactive or overactive thyroid gland.
You may receive a thyroid ultrasound as part of an overall physical exam. Ultrasounds can provide high-resolution images of your organs that can help your doctor better understand your general health. Your doctor may also order an ultrasound if they notice any abnormal swelling, pain, or infections so that they can uncover any underlying conditions that might be causing these symptoms.
Ultrasounds may also be used if your doctor needs to take a biopsy of your thyroid or surrounding tissues to test for any existing conditions.
HOW CAN A THYROID ULTRASOUND HELP WITH DIAGNOSIS?
An ultrasound can give your doctor a lot of valuable information, such as:
• If a growth is fluid-filled or solid.
• The number of growths.
• here the growths are located.
• Whether a growth has distinct boundaries.
• Blood flow to the growth.
Ultrasounds can also detect a goiter, a swelling of the thyroid gland.
BENEFITS TO A THYROID ULTRASOUND
Your doctor at Atlantic Endocrinology & Diabetes Center usually analyzes the results before consulting with you about possible follow-up tests or conditions that may be indicated by the ultrasound. In some cases, your ultrasound may show images of nodules that may or may not be cancerous or contain microcalcification, which is often associated with cancer. But according to a study, cancer was found in only 1 of every 111 ultrasound tests, and over half of the people whose results showed thyroid nodules did not have cancer. Small nodules are most likely not cancerous.