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[Ultrasonographically determined thyroid gland volume in children]
V Klingmüller1, A Otten, R H Bödeker
1Röntgenabteilung Pädiatrie, Medizinisches Zentrum für Radiologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen.
Summary
Thyroid volume in children and adolescents was measured using sonography. Results show thyroid size increases with age, with no significant sex-based differences in overall volume.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric endocrinology
- Diagnostic imaging
- Human anatomy
Background:
- Thyroid gland size is a key indicator of endocrine health in children.
- Establishing normative data for thyroid volume is essential for diagnosing thyroid abnormalities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate thyroid gland size in a pediatric population using sonography.
- To establish reference ranges for thyroid volume across different age groups and sexes.
Main Methods:
- Sonographic evaluation of thyroid gland size.
- Data collected from 199 boys and 237 girls aged one month to 17 years.
- Analysis of thyroid volume in relation to age, sex, body length, weight, and body surface area.
Main Results:
- Thyroid volume increases with age, with specific values provided for different age milestones.
- The right thyroid lobe is typically larger than the left.
- Thyroid volume showed minimal correlation with age-independent body metrics in schoolchildren.
- No significant differences in thyroid volume were observed between sexes.
Conclusions:
- Sonography provides reliable measurements of pediatric thyroid volume.
- Thyroid volume demonstrates consistent growth throughout childhood and adolescence.
- Established reference ranges are crucial for pediatric thyroid assessments.