Measurement of thyroid size by ultrasound, palpation and scintiscan

Thyroid gland size was calculated from grey-scale ultrasound images in twenty patients with goitre. Results were compared with measurements by palpation and in some cases with measurements by scintiscan and at operation. There was a good correlation between ultrasound measurements and both the size of surgical specimens and clinicians' estimations, although clinicians under-estimated the size of large (greater than 40 ml) goitres compared with ultrasound and surgical specimens. Gland size calculated from scintiscan did not correspond well with measurements by ultrasound or palpation.