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Diagnostic usefulness of thyroid ultrasonography in atrophic thyroiditis
Author(s) -
Vitti Paolo,
Lampis Marco,
Piga Mario,
Loviselli Andrea,
Brogioni Sandra,
Rago Teresa,
Pinchera Aldo,
Martino Enio
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of clinical ultrasound
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.272
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1097-0096
pISSN - 0091-2751
DOI - 10.1002/jcu.1870220604
Subject(s) - medicine , thyroid , echogenicity , thyroiditis , pathology , radiology , thyroglobulin , anti thyroid autoantibodies , ultrasound , autoantibody , antibody , immunology
Abstract An abnormal thyroid echographic pattern, characterized by a diffuse low thyroid echogenicity associated with a reduced thyroid volume, was found in 53 of 55 (96%) patients with atrophic thyroiditis. In 10 of these patients, the ultrasound examination was diagnostic for thyroid atrophy, whereas the scintiscan had no abnormality. In only two cases was the reverse observed, ie, absent thyroid radioiodine uptake and no evidence of abnormality in the ultrasound examination. Six out of 24 (25%) patients with thyroperoxidase antibody titers ⩽ 1:1600 and 4 of 31 (13%) patients with titers ≥ 1:6400 had a normal thyroid scintiscan in the presence of an abnormal thyroid echographic pattern. Thus, thyroid echography can be considered the first morphological procedure in patients with hypothyroidism due to atrophic thyroiditis, and thyroid scintiscan can be used to confirm the diagnosis when other results are not definitive. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.