An additional ultrasonographic sign of Hashimoto's lymphocytic thyroiditis in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Immunology

Background:

• Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HLT) is a common autoimmune thyroid disease in children.
• Accurate diagnosis of pediatric HLT is crucial for timely management.
• Current ultrasound methods for HLT diagnosis can be improved for specificity in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and validate an additional sonographic sign for diagnosing Hashimoto's thyroiditis in children.
• To enhance the diagnostic specificity of ultrasound for pediatric HLT.

Main Methods:

• A prospective ultrasound examination was conducted on 98 children diagnosed with HLT.
• A control group of 102 healthy children and 94 children with cervical lymphadenopathy was included.
• Special attention was given to detecting lymph nodes adjacent to the thyroid gland.

Main Results:

• Typical sonographic signs of autoimmune thyroid disease were observed in all HLT patients.
• 98% of children with HLT exhibited at least two lymph nodes adjacent to the lower thyroid lobes.
• No such lymph nodes were detected in healthy children or those with cervical lymphadenopathy.

Conclusions:

• Lymph nodes adjacent to the lower thyroid lobes represent a novel ultrasound marker for pediatric Hashimoto's lymphocytic thyroiditis.
• This sonographic sign demonstrates high sensitivity (98%) and specificity (100%) in the pediatric population.
• The finding improves the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound for pediatric HLT.