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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
Substernal Thyroid Biopsy Using Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration
Published on: November 10, 2014
Primary thyroid lymphoma: role of ultrasound-guided needle biopsy
Jin Young Kwak1, Eun-Kyung Kim, Kyung Hee Ko
1Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Research Institute of Radiological Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 250 Seongsanno, 134 Sinchondong, Seodaemungu, Seoul 120-752, Korea.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to describe the sonographic findings of primary thyroid lymphoma and evaluate the role of ultrasound-guided biopsy in diagnosing thyroid lymphoma.
Methods:
This study included 6 patients (age range, 56-72 years; mean, 62.5 years). We searched the database of our institution and retrospectively collected data on the thyroid lymphomas that were confirmed pathologically. All of the sonograms and medical records were reviewed retrospectively.
Results:
All 6 patients had an enlarged neck mass and underwent ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy. The most notable sonographic feature of primary thyroid lymphoma was a marked hypoechoic mass compared with the residual thyroid tissue. Among the 6 patients with a diagnosis of thyroid lymphoma, 3 (50%) had a diagnosis of lymphoma by ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Final pathologic results were obtained by ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy (3/6 patients [50%]) or thyroidectomy (3/6 [50%]). Most patients with thyroid lymphoma (5/6 [83.3%]) were found to have diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and were treated with chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy. In 1 patient with follicular lymphoma, diagnosis and treatment were accomplished by total thyroidectomy.
Conclusions:
Our results show that ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy can be a safe and accurate method for diagnosing thyroid lymphoma and may be a suitable replacement for diagnostic thyroid surgery.
