Correlation Between Computed Tomography Density and Functional Status of the Thyroid Gland

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Endocrinology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Thyroid function is typically assessed via serum hormone levels.
• Computed tomography (CT) is a common imaging modality.
• Non-invasive markers for thyroid function are of clinical interest.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between thyroid computed tomography (CT) density and thyroid functional status.
• To determine if thyroid CT density can serve as an indicator of thyroid dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 157 patients undergoing cervical spine CT.
• Measurement of thyroid CT densities and serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels.
• Comparison of thyroid CT densities between normal, low TSH, and high TSH groups.

Main Results:

• Significantly decreased thyroid CT densities were observed in both low and high TSH groups compared to normal TSH.
• A significant positive correlation was found between thyroid CT density and TSH levels for TSH < 3.0 μIU/mL (r = 0.40).
• A significant negative correlation was found between thyroid CT density and TSH levels for TSH ≥ 3.0 μIU/mL (r = -0.66).

Conclusions:

• Thyroid CT density is significantly correlated with serum TSH levels.
• Reduced thyroid CT density is indicative of abnormal thyroid function.
• Thyroid CT density may serve as a potential imaging biomarker for assessing thyroid status.