What do thyroid ultrasound results mean?

What do thyroid ultrasound results mean?

A thyroid ultrasound is usually done when physical exam shows any of these findings: You have a growth on your thyroid gland, called a thyroid nodule. The thyroid feels big or irregular, called a goiter. You have abnormal lymph nodes near your thyroid.

What is a Category 2 thyroid nodule?

Category II—benign This category includes benign follicular nodule (adenomatoid nodule, colloid nodule), lymphocytic (Hashimotos) thyroiditis and granulomatous (subacute) thyroiditis. The benefit of thyroid FNA in these cases is when a reliably benign interpretation is done it avoids unnecessary surgery.

How does thyroid cancer appear on an ultrasound?

A malignant thyroid nodule tends to have ill-defined margins on ultrasound (Fig. 1). A peripheral halo of decreased echogenicity is seen around hypoechoic and isoechoic nodules and is caused by either the capsule of the nodule or compressed thyroid tissue and vessels [31].

What is the normal ultrasound appearance of a healthy thyroid gland?

1 a). The ultrasound appearance of a healthy thyroid paren- chyma is usually homogeneous, bright and slightly hyper- echoic with respect to the surrounding muscles ( fig. 1 b). Thyroid US also provides adjunctive information about the thyroid size, shape and texture.

Can a 2 cm thyroid nodule be benign?

The risk of cancer increases when a thyroid nodule is larger then 2cm. Thyroid nodule: an abnormal growth of thyroid cells that forms a lump within the thyroid. While most thyroid nodules are non-cancerous (Benign), ~5% are cancerous.

What does Hashimoto’s look like on ultrasound?

In Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, diffuse vascularity can be seen. Also, pseudo nodules can be seen, which are not real thyroid nodules. Pseudo nodules are an ultrasound artifact. The inflammation of Hashimotos’ thyroiditis makes the thyroid look lumpy bumpy on ultrasound.

Should a 2 cm thyroid nodule be removed?

Although these nodules are benign, almost all of them will enlarge or grow over time. Thus, size is one reason for benign thyroid nodule surgery. Any nodule that is 4 cm or larger should be removed with thyroid nodule surgery.

Do you gain weight with thyroid cancer?

Thyroid cancer patients experienced significant weight gain after total thyroidectomy, with an increase from 61.3±10.1 kg at baseline to 61.8±10.2 kg at 3- to 4-year follow-up (P<0.01). BMI increased from 24.1 to 24.2 over 3 to 4 years (P<0.01).

Can thyroid cancer affect your bowels?

A rare type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid cancer can cause unusual symptoms. You might have frequent loose bowel movements or go red in the face (flushing). These are caused by too much of the hormone calcitonin, made by the medullary thyroid cancer cells.