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Normal Thyroid Volume and Shear Wave Elastography Values in Asymptomatic Infants
Merve Yazol1, Tunjay Mammadov1, Asude Badem1
1Division of Pediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology, Gazi University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
Thyroid volume in infants increases with age. Thyroid stiffness is stable until 180 days, then rises, suggesting shear wave elastography is useful for infant thyroid monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric endocrinology
- Medical imaging
- Biophysics
Background:
- Thyroid function is crucial for infant development.
- Establishing normative data for infant thyroid parameters is essential.
- Non-invasive assessment methods are needed for early detection of thyroid abnormalities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish preliminary reference values for thyroid volume and stiffness in asymptomatic infants.
- To investigate the relationship between thyroid parameters and infant age.
- To evaluate the utility of shear wave elastography for infant thyroid assessment.
Main Methods:
- Recruitment of asymptomatic infants.
- Measurement of thyroid volume using ultrasound.
- Assessment of thyroid stiffness using shear wave elastography.
- Correlation analysis between thyroid parameters and age.
Main Results:
- Thyroid volume demonstrated a positive correlation with infant age.
- Thyroid stiffness remained relatively constant until 180 days of age.
- Thyroid stiffness showed an increase after 180 days of age.
- Shear wave elastography provided reproducible measurements of thyroid stiffness.
Conclusions:
- Preliminary reference values for infant thyroid volume and stiffness were established.
- Age-dependent changes in thyroid stiffness were observed in infants.
- Shear wave elastography is a promising non-invasive tool for assessing and monitoring the infant thyroid.
Abstract:
This study provides preliminary reference values for thyroid volume and stiffness in asymptomatic infants. Thyroid volume increased with age, while stiffness remained stable until 180 days and increased thereafter. Shear wave elastography may serve as a valuable, non-invasive tool for early thyroid assessment and monitoring in infancy.
