Ultrasound of the thyroid gland is the safest, painless and effective method for diagnosing the structure, structure and location of the thyroid gland. The main thing is to pre-prepare for ultrasound of the thyroid gland, realize its necessity and understand how the procedure proceeds, so that the examination will bring maximum benefit.
Why do you need thyroid ultrasound?
The thyroid gland is one of the most important organs that allows you to regulate the metabolism in our body, so that a violation of its functioning can lead to the development of serious diseases. Therefore, you should constantly check its condition in order to identify the presence of problems in the early stages and immediately begin treatment of the disease. Moreover, 20% of the population of our planet have certain thyroid pathologies, and in some regions 50% of the population suffers from them, which is caused by negative environmental influences, iodine deficiency, infections, injuries, genetic predisposition and intoxication. And this means that it is better to visit the endocrinologist in a timely manner, undergo preparation for ultrasound of the thyroid gland, be fully examined and take all the necessary tests to be aware of your health. After all, if you run problems with the thyroid gland, then this can lead to diseases such as cancer, cyst, nodular or diffuse toxic goiter, hypothyroidism or thyroiditis.
Indications for the examination
Before you begin to prepare for an ultrasound of the thyroid gland, let's look at what symptoms should be the reason for an immediate appeal to an endocrinologist and referral for examination. Indeed, without a doctor’s appointment, the procedure will not work. So, indications for ultrasound of the thyroid gland can be:
- the occurrence of seals in the neck;
- neck enlargement and swelling;
- age of 40 years or more;
- menstrual irregularities or problems with reproductive function;
- feeling of constant "lump in the throat";
- the presence of hereditary thyroid disease or diabetes;
- end of hormone-containing drugs;
- constant increased apathy, drowsiness, irritability, nervousness, lethargy, weakness and eternal mood swings;
- sudden increase in body weight;
- sudden weight loss for no specific reason can also become the reason for the appointment of an thyroid ultrasound by an endocrinologist;
- not decreasing body temperature in the range of 37-38 0 ;
- constant hand tremor;
- hair loss;
- the appearance of a suspicion of a tumor;
- cardiac arrhythmia.
The need for diagnosis for pregnant women
What to do girls in position? It is very important to diagnose the norm of the thyroid gland for ultrasound in women in an "interesting" position or who are just planning a pregnancy, so endocrinologists must send them to this type of examination. This is necessary in order to determine the level of iodine deficiency in the body and prevent a future mother from developing miscarriage, premature birth, heart failure, increased blood pressure, postpartum hemorrhage and severe blood loss, which can become life-threatening for a woman. But not only mom can be affected by disorders in the thyroid gland, for a baby this is also dangerous because he will develop the same iodine deficiency or thyroid disease. Therefore, it is so important to plan an pregnancy and when it occurs, to do an ultrasound scan, especially since it is completely safe for both mom and baby.
Research Benefits
In fact, there are many different ways to diagnose the condition of the organ in question, however, it is the ultrasound of the thyroid gland that has a number of advantages over them:
- The examination is relatively inexpensive, so it is available to everyone, without exception.
- There is no need to think about where you can get an ultrasound of the thyroid gland, since this procedure is done in almost every medical center. For example, in Moscow it can be done at the Orange clinic medical center located on Novoyasenevsky Prospekt in Building 13, Building 2; in the clinic “Miracle Doctor”, located on 11/3 Shkolnaya Street or in one of more than two hundred diagnostic centers.
- The patient receives the examination results on his hands on the same day, so there is no need to wait for them for several days, but you can immediately go with them to the doctor to find out your diagnosis.
- With ultrasound, ionizing radiation is completely absent, so this procedure is completely safe for health.
- Ultrasound does not violate the integrity of the skin and passes completely painlessly.
- Even the slightest chance of infection is excluded.
The necessary frequency of the procedure
Many patients are worried about the idea of how often to do an ultrasound of the thyroid gland in order to get the most accurate result from the examination and to detect problems in the thyroid gland in time. So, here it all depends on the presence of complaints in the patient, which may indicate the presence of thyroid diseases. If there are complaints, then it is better for patients to undergo examinations once every six months. But even if the disturbing symptoms are completely absent, it will not hurt to be checked once a year, because a number of diseases associated with the thyroid gland are completely asymptomatic. And if laboratory or clinical studies have shown an alarming result, then the frequency of ultrasound can be increased up to 3-4 times every six months, so that, based on the results of the procedure, the doctor can see the dynamics of the disease and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Thyroid ultrasound preparation
In order for the results of the examination to be as accurate as possible, it is very important before you come to the procedure to prepare for it. Actually, there is nothing complicated and the examination does not require special preparation, since the thyroid gland is in a very convenient place. However, if you want to get the most complete information, it is better to follow some rules:
- When you repeat the procedure, you should definitely take with you the results of the previous ultrasound.
- Three days before the ultrasound examination, alcohol should be completely excluded from your diet.
- On the day of the procedure, drugs that affect blood pressure or cardiac output should not be taken.
- It is recommended that small children and elderly people do the procedure on an empty stomach, as when pressing on the neck they may experience vomiting.
Survey process
Now that we have figured out how to prepare for the ultrasound of the thyroid gland, let's figure out how the procedure goes. The entire examination takes only 15 minutes. First of all, the patient lays on a comfortable couch and throws his head back to fully open access to his neck. Naturally, for this it is better to wear clothing with a neckline or a shirt, or a blouse that can be unfastened. Then the uzist doctor will apply a small amount of hydrogel to the front of the neck, which will contribute to better gliding and the passage of ultrasound. Then he will pick up the sensor and drive it around his neck, simultaneously viewing in real time, the image of the thyroid gland projected on the ultrasound machine display. In this case, the patient does not feel any unpleasant sensations, except that he may experience slight discomfort due to the uncomfortable position of the neck and head. And after the study, it remains only to wipe the gel remnants with a towel previously brought from home, pick up a printout of the ultrasound results and go to the endocrinologist so that he deciphers them and makes a diagnosis.
Research results
Despite the fact that only a doctor can decipher the readings of an ultrasound of the thyroid gland, patients should be aware of what data can be obtained from the results of an ultrasound examination:
- The location of the gland may be typical or aberrant, which indicates the presence of pathologies.
- The structure of the thyroid gland suggests the presence of an isthmus between two lobes, however, on the ultrasound printout, it will also be possible to notice the formation of additional lobes or tissue growths. In addition, such a pathology is possible, because of which the thyroid gland will consist of only one lobe.
- The contours of the gland allow you to diagnose the development of a tumor or inflammatory process.
- Nodes on the thyroid gland should be absent, and if they are, then they should be characterized in order to make the correct diagnosis.
- The size of the thyroid gland allows you to diagnose hypoplasia and tissue hyperplasia, which is done by measuring the thickness of the isthmus.
- The structure of the gland should be uniform with a certain type of granularity.
- On the screen of the ultrasound machine, you can determine the echogenicity of the thyroid gland by the contrast of its color.
- If the thyroid gland has a certain pathology, then on the transcript of the examination, it will be possible to see focal formations on it like a cyst, nodes or calcifications.
Norm in thyroid ultrasound protocol
Now that we know everything about preparing for an ultrasound of the thyroid gland and the procedure itself, let's see what the results of this study are in accordance with the norm:
- Echogenic density should be medium.
- The structure of the gland should be uniform.
- The edges of the thyroid gland should be even and without the slightest tubercles.
- Fractions should be the same size, in perfect condition, their cross-sectional and longitudinal sectional parameters should be 40-60 mm in length, 12-18 mm in width, and 15-18 mm in thickness.
- In an optimal embodiment, the volume of the thyroid gland should directly depend on the weight of the patient, so that for an average man it is 20 cm 3 , and for an average woman - 16.5 cm 3 . But, since the weight of a person can be less or more than average, then usually the volume of the thyroid gland is in the range of 15-33 cm 3 .
- According to other parameters, in the decoding of the examination it should mean that no seals were found, the lymph nodes are not enlarged, and the size of the parathyroid glands is 4 * 4 * 5 mm.
Nodes on the thyroid gland
Separately, we should talk about nodes that appear on the thyroid gland, which, in the normal state of the organ, should not be. If the doctor discovers these nodes, then he will immediately compile his detailed description, which will include such parameters of the nodes as:
- clarity of their contours;
- the absence or presence of a specific rim "halo" located on the periphery of the node;
- the degree of echogenicity of the node, allowing to classify it as isoechogenic, hypoechoic, hyperechoic or anechoic;
- the absence or presence of foci of calcification, depending on the acoustic shadow seen on the ultrasound machine;
- absence or presence of cystic transformation.
Additional examinations to confirm the diagnosis
Having learned all about the preparation for ultrasound of the thyroid gland, the procedure itself and the results of the study, it should be remembered that the data obtained from this examination are sometimes not enough for an accurate diagnosis. Therefore, after an ultrasound, the doctor can direct the patient to undergo some more procedures:
- You will need to take a blood test and conduct a full laboratory and hormonal study.
- If there are nodes, you will have to go through color mapping and Dopplerography in order to conduct their in-depth diagnosis.
- If there are hints of a tumor, it will be necessary to take a puncture under the control of ultrasound to determine whether it is benign or malignant.
We examined how the ultrasound of the thyroid gland goes and how to prepare for the procedure, and also got acquainted with the nuances of this type of diagnosis.