[Sonography of the thyroid gland in practice and in the clinic]

Nowadays, the ultrasound examination is considered to be the most important procedure in the morphological examinations of the thyroid gland and its importance can be compared to the value of the basal thyroid stimulating hormone level (b-TSH) estimation in the examination of the thyroid function. Both methods in their preliminary stages can already exclude morphological and functional changes. In case of a disease, sonography makes the selection of further investigation procedures possible, in regard to their necessity and urgency. The organ size (in all 3 dimensions); the relationship to neighbouring structures; the echo pattern or the blood circulation are sonographic informations, which offer the specialist, the thyroid clinic or the surgeon (all with their wide differences of aims) an excellent means in the exclusion; the diagnosis; the investigation and the treatment strategy of thyroid gland diseases.