[An ultrasonic study in the differential diagnosis of thyroid diseases]

The correlation of clinical, echo and morphological findings demonstrated ultrasound potentialities in the differential diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Ultrasound permitted the detection of nodes up to 3 cm in diameter. False-negative results were obtained in 6.5% of cases, there were no true false positive results. Adenomas are often characterized by mixed echogenicity of a node and hypoechogenic lining around it. Chronic nonspecific thyroid diseases are characterized by inhomogeneous echogenicity of the organ. Thyroid cancer is characterized by hypoechogenicity of a node with its inhomogeneous structure and irregular contours as if consisting of several nodules. The probability of malignancy grows with an increase in the number of these features combining in a particular patient.