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Updated: Dec 6, 2025

Author Spotlight: Integrating Ultrasound Imaging with Biochemical Markers for Thyroid Disease Diagnosis
Published on: February 9, 2024
Ultrasound of the Normal Thyroid with Technical Pearls and Pitfalls
Danielle M Richman1, Mary C Frates1
1Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Abstract:
Ultrasound is the best imaging modality for comprehensive evaluation of the thyroid. The thyroid is best imaged using a high-frequency linear probe with the patient in a supine position with the neck hyperextended. Normal thyroid is homogeneous in appearance without defining anatomic landmarks within the gland. A few anatomic variants can occur, and it is important for the sonographer and radiologist to be aware of these variants, to avoid misidentifying them as a pathology. This article provides a comprehensive review of ultrasound of the normal thyroid gland, including technique, normal anatomy, anatomic variants, imaging appearance, and technical pearls and pitfalls.
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