[Ultrasound study in the diagnosis of thyroid gland pathology]

An ultrasound study of the thyroid was performed in 55 patients who were admitted to be treated surgically for the goiter. The Sonoline-3000 unit working in the real time mode was used. The results were compared with the morphological findings of the resected gland. Features which were most characteristic of different types of the pathology were revealed. This method made it possible to differentiate with assurance between a cyst and a hard node, to reveal the diffuse-nodular forms of lesion. Some difficulties arose in the diagnosis of the nodes that had no limiting rim and differed little in the structure from the unchanged gland as well as in the differential diagnosis of a benign hard node and cancer, this being associated with the absence of the pathognomonic features of malignant lesion.