Magnetic resonance imaging of thyroid cancer.

Thyroid cancer is a unique malignancy arising from the endocrine system, and its nature is different from more common squamous cell carcinoma in the head and neck region. Multiple imaging modalities are used for imaging work up for thyroid cancer, including nuclear medicine imaging, ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Imaging findings of benign and malignant thyroid lesions overlap substantially, and differentiation may be difficult. The role of MRI is to evaluate the extent of disease and to assess the spread of nodal disease. In this chapter, we will discuss the role of MRI in thyroid cancer staging and key imaging appearance that affect staging of thyroid cancer.