Sonography of Normal and Abnormal Thyroid and Parathyroid Glands

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Thyroid and parathyroid diseases are common, often managed with clinical and lab data.
• Ultrasonography (US) is crucial for diagnosis, outcome prediction, and therapy titration in thyroid disorders.
• US is the primary imaging modality for nodular thyroid disease, assessing malignancy risk and guiding fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the critical role of ultrasonography in evaluating thyroid and parathyroid glands.
• To detail the applications of US in diagnosing and managing thyroiditis, nodular thyroid disease, and thyroid cancer.
• To emphasize the utility of US in parathyroid disease localization and guiding biopsies.

Main Methods:

• Review of ultrasonography's diagnostic and prognostic capabilities in thyroid and parathyroid pathologies.
• Identification of suspicious US features for malignancy risk stratification in thyroid nodules.
• Evaluation of US guidance in FNA biopsies for both thyroid and parathyroid lesions.

Main Results:

• US is highly sensitive and efficient for thyroid and parathyroid gland evaluation.
• Specific US features (hypoechogenicity, shape, borders, calcifications, elastography) predict malignancy risk.
• US is essential for assessing thyroid cancer extent, nodal metastases, recurrence, and parathyroid adenoma localization.

Conclusions:

• Ultrasonography is indispensable for the comprehensive evaluation and management of thyroid and parathyroid diseases.
• US effectively guides diagnosis, risk stratification, treatment monitoring, and interventional procedures like FNA biopsy.
• The integration of US findings with clinical and biochemical data optimizes patient care for endocrine disorders.