Dr. Arunabha Tapadar,
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Thyroid nodules are one of the commonest neck swellings encountered by ENT surgeons today. The diagnostic difficulty lies in the assessment of the nature and behaviour of such masses. A large proportion of these swellings is of a benign nature, which makes invasive diagnostic procedures unnecessary. Of the various diagnostic options available, ultrasonography (USG) appears to be the most easily accessible. The present study attempts to study the USG characteristics of thyroid nodules in a set of patients presenting to the ENT clinic with no clinical evidence of thyroid dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS 38 patients reporting to the ENT clinic with palpable thyroid nodules were taken in the study. After a thorough clinical examination for evidence of thyroid dysfunction, the patients were subjected to ultrasonography of the thyroid nodules. The USG characteristics were studied in comparison to similar studies by other authorities with regard to the likelihood of malignancy. RESULTS In the present study, the largest number of cases were in the age groups of 31-40 and 41-50 and females outnumbered the males. The range of USG features studied were - echo texture, internal contents, presence of halo, margins, calcification and Doppler studies. The features had a broad range and combinations of these features which would help the radiologists and clinicians to decide the need for further invasive studies. CONCLUSION Ultrasonography is the most easily available and inexpensive mode of investigation for a study of thyroid nodules in patients presenting with neck swellings. While it is not absolutely conclusive, it does give us a fair idea of the behaviour of the nodules. Some of the USG features suggest a pattern of rapid growth and aggressiveness, while others appear to be benign. As a preliminary investigation, USG studies will guide the requirement of invasive tests like fine needle aspiration cytology in selected cases and permit conservative management of the rest.
